HARTFORD,  CONN, 
Proceedings. 


an 


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TLH 


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TWO   HI'NDRKDTII    ANNIVERSARY 


of  thp: 


Second  Church  of  Christ 


IN     1 1  A  I J  T  F  OKI) 


FEBRUARY  22,  1870. 


PROCEEDINGS 


AT    THE 


TWO  HUNDREDTH   ANNIVERSARY 


OF    THE 


Second-  Cliurcli  of  Christ 


DsT  HARTFORD, 


February  22d  and   23d,   1S70. 


"  The  House  of  God,  which  is  the  church  of  the  living  God,  the  pillar  and  tha 
ground  of  the  truth."     1st  Tim.  3  :  15. 


IF'-iaTolislaeel   Toy    tlie   Ola-ULi-ola 
HARTFORD,   APRIL,   1870. 


O r^ 

(    ,    \  Case,  ^    ^    ^ 

*v,^k  Lockwood  &  Brainanl, VJ,-* 
jr'-V  Printer!,  r'Px 

V         y    Hartford,  Conn.    *L  J 


BI-CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION, 


At  a  meeting  of  the  Committee  of  the  Second  Church  of 
Hartford,  January  13th,  1870,  it  was  unanimously  decided  to 
"  appropriately  celebrate  the  forth-coming  bi-centennial  anni- 
versary of  the  establishment  of  this  church/'  The  following 
persons  were  chosen,  as  a  Committee  of  Arrangements,  to 
make  all  suitable  preparation  for  the  celebration,  viz : 

EDWIN  P.  PARKER,  Pastor. 


Peter  D.  Stillman, 
Ashbel  W.  Barrows, 
Loren  P.  Waldo, 
George  S.  Gilman, 
Frederick  R.  Foster, 
Edwin  D.  Tiffany, 
Charles  L.  Lincoln, 
Thomas  H.  Welles, 
Samuel  Dodd, 


Charles  T.  Webster, 
Marshall  Jewell, 
Hrnry  C.  Robinson, 
George  W.  Moore, 
Jonathan  F.  Morris, 
Sam.  C.  Colt, 
Henry  A.  Cooley, 
Willtam  Blatchley, 
Edwin  E.  Marvin. 
GEORGE  F.  HILLS,  Clerk. 


Sub-committees,  on  invitations  and  public  services,  on 
church  decorations,  on  entertainment,  and  on  finance  were 
appointed.  More  than  one  hundred  letters  of  invitation  were 
sent  to  different  churches  and  distinguished  gentlemen  in 
various  portions  of  the  land,  inviting  them  to  be  present  and 
participate  in  our  anniversary  exercises.  All  the  churches  of 
all  denominations  in  Hartford,  were  also  specially  and  form- 
ally invited.  A  general  invitation  to  "  all  persons  who  have 
ever,  at  any  time,  been  members  of*  this  church  or  congrega- 
tion," to  be   present  at  the  celebration  was  Avidely  published. 


A liii.ii-  the  churches  that  personally  responded  to  the  invita- 
tion, were  those  in  Hartford,  West  Hartford,  East  Hartford, 
Windsor,  and  Wethersfield,  the  First  Church  in  Middle- 
town,  the  First  Church  in  New  London,  the  First  Church 
in  Now  Haven,  the  Church  in  Yale  College,  the  Church  in 
Farminffton,  the  First  Church  and  the  Memorial  Church  in 
Springfield,  the  Old  Church  in  Hadley,  the  Eliot  Church  in 
Roxbury,  and  the  Tabernacle  Church  in  New  York  City.  Rev. 
Leonard  Bacon,  D.D.,  Rev.  Horace  Bushnell,  D.  D.,  Rev. 
Win.  Patton,  D.  D.,  Rev.  Charles  E.  Linsley,  and  many  others 
were  present,  as  specially  invited  guests.  Very  grateful  let- 
ters were  received  from  the  following  gentlemen,  who  ex- 
pressed their  regret  at  being  unable  to  be  present,  viz  :  Rev. 
Prof.  A.  Phelps,  D.  D.,  Rev.  Pres.  Samuel  Harris,  D.  D.,  the 
Rt.  Rev.  J.  Williams,  Rev.  W.  B.  Sprague,  D.  D.,  Rev.  E.R. 
Beadle,  Rev.  C.  D.  Helmer,  Rev.  J.  M.  Manning,  Rev.  J.  P. 
Thompson,  D.  D.,  Rev.  Pres.  T.  D.  Woolsey,  D.  D.,  Rev. 
Enoch  Pond,  D.  D.,  Rev.  Walter  Clark,  D.  D.,  Rev.  Pres. 
Joseph  Cummings,  D.  D.,  Rev.  Samuel  Spring,  D.D.,  Rev. 
H.  P.  Arms,  D.  D.,  and  Rev.  S.  G.  Buckingham,  D.  D. 

Arrangements  were  made  for  services  on  Tuesday  and  Wed- 
nesday, February  22d  and  23d,  as  follows :  Tuesday  after- 
noon, the  Historical  Address,  by  the  Pastor  of  the  Church. 
Tuesday  evening,  a  social  gathering  and  collation  in  the  church 
parlors.  Wednesday  morning,  at  9 1-2  o'clock,  a  prayer  meet- 
ing ;  and  at  10  1-2  o'clock,  a  Re-union  in  the  church,  with 
speeches  and  old-time  singing.  Wednesday  afternoon,  the 
Holy  Communion.  Wednesday  evening,  a  closing  discourse 
by  Rev.  0.  E.  Daggett.  In  the  Good  Providence  of  God.  the 
two  days  on  which  our  services  were  held,  were  delightfully 
clear  and  pleasant,  and  the  spacious  rooms  of  the  church  edi- 
fice were  crowded  at  every  meeting.  To  the  arduous  work  of 
decorating  the  church,  much  time  and  toil  had  been  given  by 
many  members  of  the  congregation,  and  the  result  of  their 
labors  elicited  universal  admiration.  The  Hartford  papers 
gave  the  following  description  of  the  decorations  : 

The  church  is  a  perfect  bower  of  beauty.  Along  the  sides  of  the 
galleries  run  festoons  of  laurel  and  pine,  looped  up  at  regular  distan- 


ces  over  medallions  containing  the  names  of  the  former  pastors  of  the 
church,  and  the  date  of  their  pastorate.  The  names  are  in  brilliantly 
illuminated  letters,  and  each  is  enclosed  with  a  wreath  of  laurel.  In 
front  of  the  organ-loft  the  festoons  are  held  by  stars  and  crosses,  and 
in  the  centre  is  a  large  lyre  Avith  strings  of  gold.  The  pillars  are 
entwined  with  heavy  wreaths,  and  large  festoons  hang  from  the  center 
of  the  ceiling  to  the  four  corners.  From  the  center  hangs  a  heavy 
wreath  ending  in  a  large  anchor  and  cross  combined,  emblematical  of 
Faith  and  Hope.  The  gas  brackets  are  festooned  with  laurel,  and 
wreaths  and  crosses  are  over  all  the  doors,  and  run  over  the  cornices 
of  the  windows.  The  crowning  glory  is  around  the  altar  and  pulpit. 
Here  the  large  center  window  is  filled  in  with  a  white  panel,  on  which 
is  written  in  large  German  text  the  original  covenant,  and  the  names 
of  the  original  members  of  the  church. 

On  one  side  of  this  is  the  Apostles'  Creed,  and  on  the  other  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  both  framed  with  heavy  wreaths  of  evergreen.  Un- 
derneath the  "  Covenant"  is  the  name  of  the  present  pastor: 

REV.    EDWIN    POND    PARKER, 

worked  on  a  white  ground,  with  immortelles  of  various  colors. 

On  -he  pulpit  stand  two  century  plants,  while  pots  of  callas,  came- 
lias,  carnations,  and  other  blooming  plants,  are  bestowed  around  with 
lavishness.  The  pulpit  is  festooned  with  evergreens,  and  in  front  of 
it  stands  a  large  white  marble  vase,  filled  with  magnificent  roses, 
heliotropes,  orange  blossoms,  pinks,  and  other  highly  perfumed  flow 
ers,  whose  sweet  incense  rises  heavenward  and  fills  the  sanctuary. 
The  vase  is  surmounted  with  a  cross  composed  of  two  hundred  white 
rose  buds,  nestling  amid  green  leaves.  No  more  elegant  or  tasteful 
decorations  have  ever  been  seen  in  this  city. 

The  public  services  began  at  two  o'clock  P.  M.,  on  Tuesday, 
and  long  before  that  hour  the  church  was  crowded  in  every 
part.  The  Rev.  Charles  Seymour,  a  member  of  the  church, 
offered  the  prayer  of  invocation.  A  large  choir  of  fine  singers, 
under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Irving  Emerson,  (organist  of  the 
church)  sang  the  Te  Deurn.  Rev.  Dr.  Field  of  New  Loin  Ion 
read  the  8th  chapter  of  the  book  of  Deuteronomy,  and  the  3d 
chapter  of  St.  Paul's  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians.  The  choir 
then  sang  "  Glorious  things  of  thee  are  spoken."      Rev,  0.  E. 

Note. — Several  fine  photographic  view*  of  the  interior  of  the  church  and  iis 
decorations  were  taken  by  Mr.  E.  P.  Kellogg,  of  Hartford. 


Daggeti  oflfered  prayer.  The  hymn,  "Christ  is  made  the 
sure  foundation,"  was  sung.  Then  followed  the  Historical 
Address  by  Rev.  E.  P.  Parker,  after  which  the  hymn,  "  The 
Lovely  form  of  God's  own  Church,"  was  sung,  and  a  brief 
prayer,  ending  with  the  benediction,  was  offered  by  Rev.  J. 
Aspinwall  Hodge,  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Hart- 
ford, when  the  vast  audience  that  for  more  than  two  hours 
had  listened  with  no  signs  of  weariness  to  the  extremely  in- 
teresting exercises,  dispersed,  not,  however,  without  many 
hand-shakings,  and  cordial  greetings,  and  congratulations, 
and  mutual  benedictions.  In  the  midst  of  his  discourse,  Mr. 
Parker  paused  for  a  few  moments  and  requested  the  whole 
congregation  to  rise  and  join  with  the  choir  in  singing  "  Old 
Sherburne," 

"  While  Shepherds  watched  their  flocks  by  night," 

The  old  strains  touched  many  hearts,  and  wakened  many 
sadly-sweet  memories  of  long  ago. 

The  discourse  of  the  Pastor  is  herein  published  by  the  Com- 
mittee of  the  Church.  Large  portions  of  it  were  necessarily 
omitted  in  delivery,  but  no  part  of  the  whole  carefully  pre- 
pared address  could  be  left  out  in  this  publication.  Of  this 
discourse,  the  Committee  of  the  Church  fully  believe  what  the 
Hartford  Courant  of  Wednesday,  February  23d,  says  of  it : 

"  It  will  be  a  very  valuable  contribution  to  the  Ecclesiastical 
history  of  the  State  ;  and  it  is  fortunate  for  the  church  and 
the  community  that  its  preparation  fell  into  such  capable 
hands." 


HISTORICAL  DISCOURSE. 


We  are  assembled  in  the  House  of  God  to-day,  to  celebrate 
the  two-hundredth  anniversary  of  the  establishment  of  that 
branch  of  the  Catholic  Church  which  has  its  home  and  wor- 
ship in  this  place. 

The  present  members  of  this  church  and  congregation,  upon 
whom  the  Providence  of  God  has  laid  the  very  pleasant  duty 
of  preparing  for  this  bi-centennial  jubilee,  do  most  cordially 
welcome  to  the  services  of  this  celebration,  all  who  have  hon- 
ored our  Zion  by  coming  hither  to  rejoice  with  us  because  of 
her.  We  pray  you,  join  us  in  praising  God  for  his  gracious 
preservation  and  tender  care  of  this  church  through  two  cen- 
turies, during  which  time  the  light  of  its  testimony  for  "  the 
faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints,"  has  not  ceased  somewhat 
to  shine.  Join  us  also  in  no  less  fervent  prayers  that  in  the 
years  and  ages  of  the  future,  this  church  may  still  abide  stead- 
fast in  the  Apostles'  doctrine,  and  its  light  continue  to  shine 
more  and  more  brightly  unto  that  perfect  day,  when  the  glory 
of  God  shall  cover  the  earth  as  the  waters  fill  the  sen. 

In  fulfilling  the  duty  laid  upon  me,  of  preparing  for  this 
occasion  some  account  of  the  origin  and  history  of  this  church, 
I  have  chosen  to  refrain,  for  the  most  part,  from  sentimental 
reflections,  which  can  be  of  no  permanent  value,  and  rather 
to  give  all  diligence  to  the  preparation  of  a  strictly  historical 
narrative.  The  difficulties  to  be  encountered  in  the  prosecu- 
tion of  this  purpose  may  be  the  better  appreciated  when  it 
is  understood  that  there  are  no  records  of  this  Ecclesiastical 
Society,  prior  to  the  year  1707,  in  existence  ;  nor  any  records 


8 

of  this  church  from  the  year  1731  to  the  year  1800.  The 
church  records  from  1(370  to  1731,  are  comprised  in  a  frag- 
ment containing  little  else  than  an  account  of  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  church,  and  a  list  of  admissions  and  baptisms. 
Concerning  this  ancient  document,  and  the  very  important 
facts  it  reveals,  I  shall  speak  in  due  time.  I  hasten  to  grate- 
fully acknowledge  the  valuable  assistance  I  have  received  from 
the  Hon.  J.  Hammond  Trumbull,  and  from  C.  J.  Hoadly, 
Esq.,  of  this  city.  By  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Trumbull,  I  have 
had  free  use  of  copies  of  the  "  Lansdowne  Manuscripts," 
which  shed  a  flood  of  light  upon  the  great  controversy  out  of 
which  t  his  church  (and  several  others  as  well,  and  among  them 
the  Old  South  Church  in  Boston,)  grew,  and  which  have  but 
recently  been  brought  forth  from  their  strange  hiding-place 
in  the  British  Museum. a 

The  Second  Church  in  Hartford  was  organized  on  the  12th 
of  February,  (0.  S.)  1669-70,  or  (N.  S.)  on  the  22d  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1670.  Its  founders  were  very  respectable  men  and 
women,  who,  with  their  children,  withdrew  from  the  First 
Hartford  Church.  The  reasons  for  their  withdrawal  are 
found  in  certain  dissensions  that  for  a  long  time  profoundly 
agitated,  and  finally  divided  the  First  Church. 

For  eleven  years  the  Old  Hartford  Church  flourished  in 
great  peace  under  the  able  and  judicious  ministry  of  Mr. 
Thomas  Hooker,  who,  with  Mr.  Samuel  Stone,  the  teaching 
Elder,  led  a  flock  of  Christian  people  hither,  through  the 
wilderness,  from  Newtown,  (Cambridge,)  in  the  year  1636. 
Mr.  Hooker  died  in  1647,  universally  lamented,  and  Mr.  Stone, 

"  These  papers  consist  of  various  letters  written  in  the  time  of  the  great  con- 
troversy in  the  Hartford  Church  ( 1656-1 G60),  by  the  different  parties  in  the  ehureh. 
and  by  several  distinguished  ministers  of  New  England,  who  took  an  active  inter- 
est in  the  troubles  here. 

In  the  Second  Volume  of  the  Conn.  Hist.  Coll.  (which  is  now  in  press,  and 
will  soon  he  published,)  these  valuable  papers,  together  with  others  that  bear  on 
the  same  matter,  may  be  found  ;  Page  50,  &c,  &c, — "  Papers  relating  to  the  con- 
troversy in  the  church  at  Hartford." 

In  my  numerous  references  to  them,  I  shall  mention  that  page  of  the  volume 
on  which  the  [/articular  paper  referred  to  begins.  Thus  "  Lansd.  Mss.,  page  54," 
means  "  Second  Vol.,  Conn.  Hist.  Coll.,  page  54,"  on  which  page  will  be  found 
that  one  of  the  Lansdosvne  papers  to  which  reference  is  made. 


9 

the  "  Doctor  Irrefragabilis,"  of  whom  Cotton  Mather  says  :— 
"  The  foundation  of  New  England  had  a  precious  jem  laid  in 
it  when  Mr.  Stone  arrived  in  these  regions," — was  left  alone  in 
the  ministry  of  the  church  here.  Not  many  years  had  elapsed 
after  Mr.  Hooker's  death,  when  a  controversy  arose  in  the 
church,  having  Mr.  Stone  and  a  majority  of  the  brethren  on 
one  side,  and  a  strong  and  respectable  minority  on  the  other 
side,  the  origin  of  which,  says  Mather,  "  has  been  rendered! 
almost  as  obscure  as  the  rise  of  the  Connecticut  river,"  and 
the  consequences  of  which  he  likens  to  the  annual  inunda- 
tions of  the  same  river,  "  for  it  overspread  the  whole  colouy."b 
These  contentions  had  their  roots  deep  in  certain  wide-spread 
diversities  of  opinion  on  several  important  ecclesiastical  ques- 
tions, but  were  greatly  intensified  and  complicated  by  local 
jealousies  and  personal  antagonisms.  They  continued  un- 
checked by  all  means  devised  for  their  healing,  waxing  more 
and  more  serious,  involving  many  churches  far  and  near  in 
their  confusion,  filling  all  New  England  with  disputations, 
and  resulted,  at  length,  in  the  withdrawal  of  many  members  ot 
the  Hartford  Church,  some  of  whom,  in  1659,  removed  up  the 
river  to  Hadley  where  a  settlement  was  made  and  a  church 
was  formed,0  and  others,  eleven  years  later,  organized  the 
Second  Church  at  Hartford.  Councils,  Synods,  and  Courts 
ineffectually  strove  to  extinguish  this  "  fire  of  the  altar,"  from 
which  "  there  issued  thunderings  and  lightnings  and  earth- 
quakes through  the  colony. "d  The  controversy  was  all  the 
more  deplorable  as  springing  up  in  a  church  of  "  such  emi- 
nence for  light  and  love."  The  troubles  in  the  Hartford 
Church  had  a  deeper  ground  than  any  mere  local  or  personal 
disagreements.  They  were  the  first  public  outbreaking^  of 
an  inevitable  general  ecclesiastical  controversy  which  had  long 
been  preparingin  New  England.  Mr.  Hooker,  in  his  day, 
seems  to  have  had  vague  apprehensions  of  coming  troubles. 
"  Me  would  frequently  intermix  most  affectionate  warnings  of 
the  declensions  which   would  quickly  befall  the  churches  of 

bMagnalia,  Vol.  1  :  436  ;  Trumbull's  Hist,  of  Conn.,  Vol.  1  :  310. 
cIFist.  of  Hadley,  pages  11-21  ;    Hubbard's  N.  E.,  page  .317. 
dMagnalfa.  Vol.  1  :  436. 


10 

New  England."  In  1650,  Mr.  Stone  predicted  that  "the 
churches  would  come  to  be  broken  by  schism,  and  sudden  cen- 
sures, and  angry  removes  *  *  *  in  the  churches,  prayers 
againsl  prayers,  hearts  against  hearts,  tears  against  tears, 
tongues  against  tongues,  *  *  and  horrible  prejudices  and 
underminings."e  There  were  certain  glaring  inadequacies  of 
the  prevalent  ecclesiastical  system  and  order,  the  popular 
feeling  of  which  was  greatly  embittered  by  political  consider 
ations.f  There  was  an  ultra-calvinistic  theology  at  which 
Calvin  himself  would  have  stood  aghast,  which,  having  with 
difficulty  repressed  the  Antinomianism  for  which  it  was  chiefly 
responsible,  soon  found  itself  compelled  to  make  some  half- 
way provision  for  the  people  generally  who  desired  to  do  all 
that  was  in  their  power  towards  God,  but  whom  it  was  impos- 
sible to  blame  for  not  being  regenerate,  since  they  were  lit- 
erally like  clay  in  the  hands  of  the  potter.*  What  could  men 
and  women  do,  from  whom  the  gift  of  regeneration  was  in  the 
sovereignty  of  God  withheld,  and  to  whom  the  arbitrary  tests 
and  evidences  of  regeneration  wrere  like  high  walls  and  barred 
gates  around  the  Lord's  Table,  but  promise  a  diligent  use  of 
the  means  of  grace?  And  on  promising  this,  should  they  not 
be  admitted  to  the  outer-court  of  the  church,  that  under  its 
nurture  and  discipline  grace  might  perchance  descend  upon 
them,  or  at  least  upon  their  children  ?  There  was  also,  espec- 
ially in  Massachusetts  and  Connecticut  colonies,  a  continual 
and  baneful  interference  of  the  civil  government  with  ques- 
tions of  church  doctrine  and  discipline,  which,  under  the  plea 
of  protection  and  support,  wrought  manifold  and  irremediable 
mischief.  Under  the  ecclesiastical  aristocracy  that  everywhere 
obtained  in  such  a  way  as  to  subject  all  citizens  to  the  burdens 
of  taxation  for  the  support  of  gospel  institutions  and  ordi- 
nances, while  only  church  members  could  have  a  voice  or  a 
rote  in  the  election  of  church  officers  and  ministers,  a  deep 


Magnalia,  Vol.  1  :  436. 

-      Palfrey's  Hist,  of  X.  E.,  Vol.  2  :  492. 

■•  The  operation  of  the  half-way  covenant  was,  to  propagate  and  confirm  the 
bad  theology  in  which  it  originated  ;  and  the  bad  theology,  as  it  grew,  promoted 
religious  declension."  It  was  as  Mr.  Street  said,  "  an  uncouth  way,  and  very 
unpleasant  divinity."     Bacon's  Hist.  Dis.,  page  183. 


11 

and  general  restlessness  and  discontent  grew  up.  Added  to 
these  things,  there  was  a  party  in  the  churches,  and  especially 
among  the  ministers,  that  was  looking  and  planning  and 
endeavoring  for  a  national  church  system,  or  "parish  way" 
of  church  extension  and   discipline. 

Some  local  and  personal  differences  at  Hartford  (for  Mr. 
Stone  had  far  more  of  the  "  flint-stone  "  than  of  the  ';  load- 
stone "  in  "  his  management  of  principles,")  afforded  the 
weak  spot  on  the  quiet  surface  of  this  underlying  confusion 
of  conflicting  principles,  through  which  the  serious  dissatisfac- 
tions broke  forth  in  force  and  fury  to  cover  the  colonies  with 
disputations,  and  to  subvert,  at  length,  the  old  order  of  things 
in  the  churches.  It  is  conceded  by  all  who  have  investigated 
the  matter,  that  the  main  points  on  which  this  controversy 
turned  and  proceeded,  were  "  the  new  qualifications  for  bap- 
tism and  church  membership,"  and  "  the  rights  of  the  broth- 
erhood, "s 

In  the  second  and  third  generations  of  the  New  England 
colonies,  a  condition  of  society  was  developed  that  clearly 
enough  required  some  re-adjustment  of  the  church  order  and 
discipline.  The  real  necessity  was  not  suspected  ;  namely, — 
such  a  re-formation  of  dogmatic  and  especially  of  experimental 
theology  as,  a  century  later,  Jonathan  Edwards  wrought.  Both 
inside  and  outside  the  churches  manifold  complaints  were  ex- 
pressed. Hitherto,  according  to  almost  universal  custom,  bap- 
tism had  been  administered  to  such  believers  only  as  gave 
credible  evidence  of  regeneration  and  were  judged  fit  to  par- 
take of  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  to  their  children.  But  many 
of  the  elderly  and  godly  men  now  saw  with  deep  solicitude 
many  of  their  children  refraining  from  a  profession  of  regene- 
ration, and  the  children  of  these  in  turn,  excluded  from  bap- 
tism.h  How  to  continue  their  posterity  under  the  covenant  of 
grace  and  within  the  pale  of  the  church, and  yet  not  endanger 
the  purity  of  the  church  itself,  was  the  problem. 

sTrumbull's  Hist,  of  Conn.,  Vol.  1  :  310,  322. 

^Trumbull's  1 1  i - 1- ,  Vol.  l  :  312;  Magnalia,  Vol.  2:  277;  Palfrey's  Hist.N.  E., 
Vol.2:  487;  Dr.  John  Elliot's  Hist,  of  Ma-.;  Coll.  of  Mass.  Hi-.  Soc,  Vol  2 


12 

M;in\  of  the  children  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  country  who 
had  now  become  parents,  and  also  many  recent  immigrants 
who  were  not  professedly  regenerate,  for  several  reasons, — 
partly  owing  to  the  undue  if  not  superstitious  importance  they 
attached  to  the  outward  administration  of  baptism,  and  partly 
because  they  desired  for  themselves  and  their  children  the 
social  and  civil  privileges  of  a  church-standing, strove  earnestly 
with  those  who  were  endeavoring  to  bring  in  a  new  practice 
that  should  allow  not  only  communicants,  but  all  baptized 
people  of  fair  moral  character,  on  owning  the  covenant,  to 
offer  their  children  in  baptism.'  This  new  practice  involved 
also  the  right  of  such  half-way  members  of  the  church  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  election  of  church  officers,  and  the  whole  ques- 
tion was  greatly  complicated  by  grievances  and  demands  of  a 
political  nature  which  it  is  impossible  to  set  forth  here. 

Thus  the  question  respecting  the  administration  of  baptism 
(involving  many  other  serious  questions  also)  became  the 
great  question  on  which  all  Newr  England  was  for  years  pro- 
foundly agitated.  A  "new  way"  was  advocated  and  urge dJ 
This  "  new  way"  was  the  beginning  of  what  was  subsequently 
known  as  the  "half-way  covenant,"  and  how  utterly  superfi- 
cial and  inadequate  a  remedy  for  the  crying  wants  of  the 
times  it  was,  the  history  of  its  disastrous  operation  in  the 
churches  of  New  England  during  the  next  hundred  years, 
abundantly  shows.  All  accounts  agree  that  this  question  first 
came  prominently  into  dispute  in  the  Hartford  church. k  Rev. 
Mr.  Stone  was  one  of  the  earliest  and  warmest  advocates  of 
the  reforming  and  enlarging  measures.  In  1650  he  wrote  to 
Richard  Mather  of  Dorchester  on  the  subject.  Mr.  Mather  was 
very  active  in  introducing  the  new  practice,  as  many  letters 
written  to  and  by  him,  concerning  it,  show.1     A  majority  of  the 


'Hubbard's  New  England,  page  562  ;    Trumbull's  Hist.,  Vol.  1 :  311;    Cong'l 

Quarterly,  July,  1862. 

JHubbard,  page  562;  Dr.  John  Elliot's  Hist.  Mass. 

kPalfrey's  His*.  N.  E.,  Vol  2  :  487 ;  Trumbull's  Hist,  Vol.  1 :  310;  Hubbard's 
N.  E.,  316,  562,  570. 

the  letter  of  Mr.  Stone,  and  for  letters  of  Richard  Mather,  Mr.  Prudden, 
and  Mr.  Rogers  of  Ipswich,  on  the  subject,  and  for  the  action  of  the  Dorchester 


13 

Hartford  church  sustained  Mr.  Stone.  But  a  strong  minority, 
comprising  some  of  the  most  influential  men  in  the  town,  hav- 
ing already  disagreed  with  Mr.  Stone  on  some  points  of  disci- 
pline, resolutely  resisted  the  innovations,  as  did  also  most  of  the 
churches  in  the  colony.111 

As  the  controversy  proceeded,  and  years  of  strife  passed 
by,  and  councils,  and  synods,  and  courts  took  up  the  bitter 
troubles,  the  original  grounds  of  difference  became  obscured, 
and  secondary  questions  came  into  prominence. 

For  fourteen  years  the  minority  party  stood  in  an  attitude 
of  dissent  and  remonstrance,  yielding  neither  to  the  dictation  of 
Mr.  Stone,  nor  to  the  authority  of  two  synods,  nor  to  the  pow- 
erful influence  of  the  General  Court,  but  always  and  inces- 
santly pleading  that  they  might  be  allowed  to  join  other 
churches  (Farmington  or  Wethersfield)  where  they  could 
worship  with  a  good  conscience,  or  to  form  themselves  into  a 
distinct  church."  It  is  quite  certain  that  the  breach  through 
which  all  the  after  troubles  found  their  way,  was  caused  by 
the  somewhat  obstinate  endeavor  on  the  part  of  Mr.  Stone 
to  introduce  the  practice  of  some  new  principles  of  church 
order  and  discipline  which  were  conceived,  by  a  large  minority 
of  his  people,  to  lie  innovations  dangerous  alike  to  the  purity 
of  the  churches  and  to  the  old  congregational  way  of  church 
order.  Mr.  Stone  defined  Congregationalism  as  "a  speaking 
aristocracy  in  the  face  of  a  silent  democracy  !  "  His  ideas  of 
church  government  "  bordered  more  on  Presbyterianism  and 
less  on  independence,  than  those  of  the  first  ministers  of  the 
country  in  general."0  There  is  good  reason  for  believing  that 
these  un-congregational  ideas  of  Mr.  Stone,  together  with  his 
obstinate  and  rigorous  persistence  in  enforcing  them,  had 
quite  as  much  to  do  in  dividing  the  church  at  Eartford,as  the 
differences  in  opinion  concerning  baptism. 

and  Ipswich  churches,  consult  Felt's  Ecclesiastical  History  of  N.  E.,  Vol.  J.  pages 
38,  49,  88,  92,  135,  141.  All  agree  that  the  practice  they  desire  and  urge  is  an 
entirely  new  one. 

-  Trumbull's  Hist.,  Vol.  L:  318;  Eubbard's  N.E.,  316. 

"  Lands.  Mas.,  pages  54,  56,68. 

0  Trumbull's  Hist.,  Vol.  I  :  -ill. 


14 

Jusl  how,  and  in  what  precise  forms  the  original  misunder- 
standings first  publicly  appeared,  is  uncertain.  One  writer  says 
that  ••  the  origin  of  them  appears  to  have  been  a  difference  be- 
tween the  Rev.  Mr.  Stone  and  Mr.  Goodwin,  the  ruling  elder  in 
the  church,  upon  some  nice  points  of  Congregationalism.  It 
semis  some  member  had  been  admitted,  or  baptism  adminis- 
tered, which  Elder  Goodwin  conceived  to  be  inconsistent  with 
the  rights  of  the  brotherhood,  and  the  strict  principles  of  Con- 
gregationalism, "p  Hubbard  says  the  first  appearance  of  dis- 
turbance  was  on  the  occasion  of  the  call  of  a  minister  to  take 
Mr.  Hooker's  place,  when  it  was  proposed  to  give  baptized  non- 
communicants  the  right  of  voting  in  the  election  of  a  minister. 
"  Some  of  the  inhabitants,  holding  more  strictly  to  the  former 
principles  of  discipline,  could  not  well  bear  it  that  any,  in 
whose  real  piety  they  were  not  satisfied,  (as  not  being  con- 
firmed members  in  the  church,)  should  partake  of  any  higher 
privileges,  civil  or  ecclesiastical,  than  formerly  belonged  to 
non-members."  "And  not  long  after,  there  arose  another  dif- 
ference in  that  colony,  which  was  occasioned  through  the  en- 
deavours of  some  of  their  ministers  for  enlarging  of  baptism, 
and  extending  the  right  of  membership  to  children  before  their 
admission  into  full  communion. "q  The  same  writer  says 
explicitly,  that  these  differences,  that  were  first  started  in 
Connecticut,  about  the  enlarging  of  baptism,  ended  in  the 
dividing  of  some  of  the  churches  and  congregations,  and  evi- 
dently refers  to  the  Hartford  church.  It  is  certain,  beyond 
all  question,  that  the  new  way  of  "  enlarging  baptism"  and  of 
extending  church-membership-,  although,  under  the  authority 
of  Synods  and  Courts  and  the  pressure  of  a  strong  public  senti- 
ment, it  gradually  came  into  such  favor  that  this  Second 
( !hurch,  from  the  very  first  days  of  its  existence,  was  ready  or 
obliged  to  practice  it,  was  a  chief  cause  of  the  dissensions  in 
the  old  1 1  art  ford  church.  These  dissensions,  as  they  pro- 
ceeded through  a  course  of  years,  outgrew  the  original  ques- 
tions in  dispute,  took  hold  of  other  points  of  difference,  and 
perpetuated  themselves  in  new,  but  no  less  angry  forms. 


i'  Trumbull's  Hist.,  Vol.  1  :  310. 

m  Hubbard's  N.  F.»  315,  316,  562;  Palfrey's  Hist.  N.  E.,  Vol.  2  :  437. 


15 

I  have  thus  touched  the  real,  moving-  causes  of  that  long  and 
sad  controversy  out  of  which  this  church  came  into  exist- 
ence,— out  of  which,  as  it  extended  far  and  wide,  several 
other  distinct  churches  came  forth.  Of  the  manifold  com- 
plications of  that  controversy  in  its  several  stages  of  develop- 
ment through  fourteen  years,  there  is  no  time  or  need  to 
speak.  Over  against  Mr.  Stone  and  a  majority  of  his  church, 
a  powerful  and  influential  minority  with  whom  most  of  the 
Connecticut  churches  heartily  sympathized,  stood  steadfast 
for  the  liberty  and  purity  of  the  churches,  and  for  the  old 
Congregationalism  of  Hooker  and  the  Cambridge  Platform, 
stoutly  resisting  those  innovations  that  finally  issued  in  the 
disastrous  practice  of  what  is  well  known  in  the  history  of  the 
New  England  churches,  as  the  "half-way  covenant."1" 

I  shall  now,  as  briefly  as  possible,  sketch  the  progress  of 
the  controversy  in  Hartford  up  to  the  date  of  the  formation  of 
the  Second  Church. 

Hull's  Diary,  (Boston,  1656,)  relates:  "Great  breach  of 
love  and  union  in  the  church  at  Hartford  last  summer,  which 
continued  to  the  end  of  the  winter  now  past,  notwithstanding- 
all  endeavors  there,  and  also  by  letters  from  hence,  to  have 
gained  a  reconciliation."  During  the  years  1654  and  1655, 
several  local  councils  had  endeavored  to  compose  the  troubles 
in  the  Hartford  church,  but  their  labors  had  proved  fruitless. s 

(1656.)  In  the  month  of  March,  1656,  some  formal  com- 
munications passed  between  the  two  parties  in  the  church. 
Two  letters  from  the  dissenting  party,  signed  by  (Gov.)  John 

rSce  Bacon's  Hist.  Discourses,  pages  108,  182;  Cong'l  Quarterly,  July,  1862; 
Baron's  Norwich  Discourse,  passim.  It  did  not  merely  provide  thai  baptized  per- 
sons growing  up  in  the  bosom  of  the  church  with  blameless  characters,  *  *  might 
offer  their  children  for  baptism  without  being  required  to  be  in  full  communion  ; 
hut  it  also  provided  that  such  persons,  as  a  condition  preliminary  to  the  baptism 
of  their  children,  should  make  a  certain  public  profession  of  faith  ami  obedience, 
including  a  formal  covenant  with  God  and  the  church,  which,  at  the  same  time, 
was  understood  as  implying  no  profession  of  Christian  experience  I  I  hie  was  a  grave 
theological  error  hardening  and  establishing  itself  in  the  form  of  an  ecclesiastical 
system.  Ahridged  from  Bacon's  Norwich  Discourse. — Contributions  to  Heel.  Hist, 
of  Conn.,  21. 

•Trumbull's  Hist.,  Vol.  1  :  .111  ;  History  of  Hadley,  page  l  t. 


16 

Webster,  John  Cullick,  George  Steele,  Nathaniel  Ward,  An- 
drew Warner,  John  White,  Thomas  Bunce,and  some  fourteen 
others,  and  addressed  to  the  church,  are  preserved.1  In  the 
first  of  these  letters,  dated  March  12th,  these  gentlemen  say 
they  have  seriously  considered  what  had  been  presented  to 
them  in  certain  papers  received  from  Mr.  Stone  and  several 
of  the  brethren,  but  have  been  unable  to  derive  satisfaction 
therefrom.  Their  doubts  and  difficulties  are  on  the  whole  in- 
creased. They  cannot  recognize  Mr.  Stone's  official  acts  since 
lie  lias  "  laid  down  his  place,"  &c.  &c.u  They  entreat  their 
brethren  to  forbear  doing  what  will  expose  them  to  offensive 
or  doubtful  conduct,  and  urge  the  calling  of  a  mutual  and  dis- 
interested Council.  If  this  be  not  granted,  then  they  ask  a 
dismission,  "the  thoughts  whereof  in  many  respects  is  ex- 
ceeding bitter  to  us,  but  any  condition  is  better  to  us  (though 
bitter)  than  that  which  doth  expose  us  to  sin."  On  the  18th, 
the  church  replied  to  this  letter,  but  the  reply  is  not  found. 
On  the  20th,  the  same  dissenting  brethren  wrote  to  the  church 
in  answer  to  their  paper  of  the  18th,  protesting  against  an 
ex  parte  Council,  and  urging  that  a  mutual  Council  be  called, 
each  party  to  nominate  a  certain  number  of  Elders.  They 
desire  that  the  Council  should  be  made  up  of  gentlemen  from 
the  <  'onnecticut  and  New  Haven  colonies.  If  such  a  Council 
cannot  be  agreed  upon,  then  they  desire  dismissions  to  some 
approved  church  or  churches  of  Christ,  and  instance  the  part- 
ing asunder  of  Paul  and  Barnabas  when  they  could  no  longer 
walk  together.  They  intimate  that  if  neither  of  these  requests 
be  -ranted,  then  they  shall  be  compelled  to  withdraw  in  some 
other  way.  On  the  20th  of  May,  the  General  Court,  taking 
ii]i  the  matter  upon  the  presentation  of  grievances,  appointed 
a  committee  to  advise  with  the  Elders  of  the  colony  about  the 
troubles,  and  to  ask  their  help  in  drawing  up  an  abstract  of 
them  to  be  presented  to  the  General  Courts  of  the  United 
Colonies. v 

1  Lansd.  Mss.  in  Second  Vol.  of  Conn.  Hist.  Coll.,  pages  54  and  56. 
u  Lansd.  Mss.,  page  58.    Mr.  Stone's  speech  on  laying  down  his  place. 
'  Conn.  Col.  Rec,  Vol.  1  :  281. 


17 

On  the  11th  of  June,  1656,  a  Council  of  ministers  of  Con- 
necticut churches,  together  with  some  from  the  colony  of 
New  Haven,  was  held  in  Hartford.  It  is  quite  certain  that 
no  churches  of  Massachusetts  were  represented  in  this  Coun- 
cil, although  Dr.  Trumbull  expresses  a  different  opinion. w 
John  Davenport  asserts  that  this  Council  was  called  by 
"  the  whole  church  at  Hartford  unanimously,"  the  minority 
party  yielding  some  of  their  scruples,  and  consenting  to  what 
the  other  party  insisted  upon.*  The  result  of  this  Council  was 
decidedly  in  favor  of  the  minority  party,  and  they  stood  by  it. 
and  appealed  to  it.y  The  other  party  refused  to  submit  to  its: 
decision,  and  Mr.  Stone  several  times  afterwards  referred  to. 
it  in  a  contemptuous  manner,  declaring  its  result  to  be  "can- 
celled and  of  no  force."2  From  John  Davenport's  letter  to. 
the  church  at  Wethersfield,  we  learn  that  this  Council  decided: 
that  in  case  the  difficulties  should  break  out  anew,  the  church, 
should  grant  dismissions  to  the  aggrieved  brethren,  and  that 
Mr.  Stone  and  his  party  violated  their  express  agreement,  and 
refused  to  abide  by  the  decisions  of  the  Council, a  A  remark- 
able letter  from  John  Higginson  of  Guilford  confirms  Mr.. 
Davenport's  assertions,  gives  an  elaborate  account  of  the 
whole  matter,  quite  fully  justifies  the  dissenting  brethren,  and. 
severely  condemns  the  obstinate  course  pursued  by  Mr.  Stone. b 

These  letters  of  Davenport  and  Higginson  should  be  care, 
fully  perused  by  those  who  desire  to  look  thoroughly  into  this 
whole  affair. 

In  the  month  of  August  several  distinguished  Elders  from 
Massachusetts — John  Wilson,  Richard  Mather,  Samuel:  Whit- 
ing, John  Sherman,  and  John  Norton — addressed  a  letter  to 
Capt.  Cullick  and  Mr.  Goodwin  at  Hartford,  designing  through 
them  to  reach  all  the  aggrieved  brethren.0  They  refer  to  the 
want  of  success  of  the  late  Council,  and  are  unable  "with 
Longer  silence  to  behold  the  wound  of  so  famous  a  sister 

"Trumbull's  Hist.,  Vol.1:    297.311;  Hist.  Hadley,  19;    Conn.  Hist.  Col!.,. 
Vol.  2:  60—  Note,  by  J.  Hammond  Trumbull. 
'Lansd.  Mss.,  pages  08,  88,  93.  >'  Lansd.  Mss.,  page  08. 

'Conn.  Col.  Rec.,  Vol.  1  :  291,  317.         •  Lansd.  Mss.,  page  88. 
h  Lansd.  Mss.,  page  93.  c  Lansd.  Mss.,  page  59. 

2 


18 

church  and  mother  in  Israel,  still  bleeding,  if  not  ulcerating," 
Ac  They  propose  a  conference  of  all  parties,  at  the  Bay  ; 
or  if  thai  may  not  be,  they  suggest  their  willingness  to  come 
in  I  [artford  "  for  the  obtaining  of  a  conference  between  your- 
selves. Mr.  Stone  and  them."  "Suffer  not  Hartford's  praise 
to  liccome  an  occasion  of  Christ's  prejudice  !  Alas!  alas!  so 
it  is.  besides  this  burning  of  yours,  divers  congregations 
amongst  us,  in  this  jurisdiction,  are  for  the  present  as  so 
many  Meribahs  and  Taborahs,  whose  smoke  we  fear  doth 
more  than  appear  in  the  sight  of  the  Canaanites."  And  so  the 
lamentation  continues  until  the  reverend  gentlemen  cry  out, 
"  Our  bowels !  our  bowels  !  we  are  pained  at  the  very  heart,  we 
cannot  hold  our  pen  !  "  Again,  in  September,  the  Elders  from 
the  Bay  addressed  a  letter  to  the  church  at  Hartford,d  in  which 
they  say  they  cannot  go  to  Hartford  till  Spring,  and  exhort  the 
church  in  pathetic  terms,  to  forbear  action,  and  cultivate  unity, 
and  cover  all  matters  of  difference  with  silence  until  then. 

The  Committee  appointed  by  the  General  Court  in  May,  had 
meanwhile  attended  to  their  duty,  made  a  report,  and  their 
questions  had  been  forwarded  to  the  Bay  Court,  together  with 
a  proposition  for  a  Synod  of  Elders  from  all  the  colonies  to 
consider  several  questions  that  concern  the  churches.  Where- 
upon, in  October  (14),  the  Massachusetts  General  Court  ad- 
vised a  General  Council,  and  sent  letters  to  the  several  Courts, 
desiring  their  ministers  to  meet  in  such  a  Council,  at  Boston, 
in  June,  1657. e 

(1657.)  So  matters  stood  until  on  the  24th  of  February, 
1656-7,  the  General  Court  of  New  Haven  returned  a  spirited 
answer  to  this  request,  giving  their  opinions  on  the  questions 
;tt  issue,  but  declining  to  send  their  ministers  to  the  Council. 
They  were  utterly  opposed  to  the  project,  thought  Connecticut 
ministers  and  legislature  could  settle  their  own  troubles,  and 
more  than  intimated  that  the  proposed  Council  was  set  on 
foot  by  restless  spirits  who  were  determined  to  make  serious 
changes  both  in  civil  government  and  in  church  discipline/ 

d  Lansd.  Mss.,  page  64. 

•  Mass.    Records,  3  :  419;    Trumbull's  Hist.,  Vol.  1  :  314. 

New  Haven  Col.  Rec,  Vol.2:  195,  198;  Trumbull's  Hist.,  Vol.  1:  315  ;  Ba- 
con s  Norwich  Discourse,  page  19. 


19 

But  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts  were  determined  to  have 
the  Council.  On  the  26th  of  February,  the  General  Court  of 
Connecticut  appointed  four  Elders  (Warham  of  Windsor, 
Stone  of  Hartford,  Russell  of  Wethersfield,  and  Blinman  of 
New  London)  to  attend  the  Council  at  Boston  "  on  the  5th  of 
June  next,  to  confer  and  debate  the  questions  formerly  sent 
to  the  Bay  Court,  *  *  *  with  such  divines  as  shall  be  sent  to 
said  meeting  by  the  other  colonies. "s  Pending  this  proposed 
S}rnod  at  Boston,  the  Connecticut  Court  desired  the  Elders 
"  who  formerly  transacted  the  differences  in  the  Hartford 
church,"  (June  11,  165G,)  to  give  a  meeting  to  those  Bay 
Elders  who  had  previously  offered  to  "come  up  hither."1' 
They  also  desired  that  the  former  Council  (June,  1656)  should 
be  convened,  to  see  if,  in  the  interim,  they  could  not  compose 
the  differences.  Thus  three  distinct  assemblings  were  pro- 
posed :  1st,  an  immediate  re-convention  of  the  Council  of 
June,  1656  ;  2d,  a  conference  of  the  two  parties  in  Hartford 
with  the  neighboring  Elders  and  with  those  Bay  Elders  who 
had  offered  their  services;  3d,  a  General  Council  in  Boston, 
on  the  5th  of  June  next. 

Gov.  Webster,  Mr.  Cullick,  and  Mr.  Steele,  who  were  of 
the  dissenting  party,  stoutly  objected  to  these  propositions. 
They  appealed  to  the  Council  of  1656,  to  which  Mr.  Stone  and 
his  party  refused  submission,  and  declared  that  so  long  as  the 
wisdom  and  authority  of  its  decisions  were  not  successfully 
impeached,  it  was  useless  to  call  other  Councils.  They 
also  objected  to  the  imposition  of  a  Council  by  legislative 
authority.* 

On  the  14th  of  March,  the  dissenting  party  addressed  a 
letter  to  Mr.  Stone  and  the  church,  in  which  the  same  senti- 
ments that  Gov.  Webster  and  others  had  uttered  in  the  Gen- 
eral Court,  were  expressed.  They  set  forth  how  after  much 
condescension  and  self-denial  they  had  "obtained  a  Council 
of  persons  suiting  and  annverin^  your  propositions  ami  de- 
sires." They  refer  to  the  fact  that  this  same  Council  "  con- 
curred with  us  and  strengthened  our  thoughts."    They  beseech 


s  Conn.  Col.  Rec,  Vol.  1:  288.         h  Conn.  Col.  Rec,  Vol.  1:  2pl. 
*Conn.  Col.  Rec,  Vol.  1:  291;  Trumbull's  Hist,  Vol.  1:  315. 


20 

their  brethren  to  yield  to  that  counsel  that  is  already  given, 
or  else.  ••  grant  us  our  dismission,  *  *  that  so  both  you  and 
we  may  be  in  a  capacity  to  enjoy  the  good  things  of  Christ 
asunder,  which  we  have  now  so  long  time  been  deprived  of 
in  our  being  together."' 

On  the  Gth  of  April,  John  Norton  and  other  Elders  and 
messengers  of  the  Bay  churches,  set  out  from  Boston  for  Hart- 
ford, "  to  endeavor  a  reconciliation  amongst  them  in  those 
parts,  for  their  breach  hath  been  the  occasion  of  much  division 
in  sundry  churches  in  these  parts."  The  Boston  church 
observed  the  16th  of  April  as  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  for 
the  Hartford  church. 

On  the  23d  of  April,  letters  came  from  Hartford  to  Boston, 
saying  that  "  the  work  of  reconciliation  went  very  slowly  for- 
ward. "J  On  the  6th  of  May,  Mr.  Norton  returned  to  Boston, 
bringing  word  "that  the  Lord  had  graciously  wrought  the 
church  at  Hartford  to  a  re-union,  and  a  mutual  promise  to 
bury  all  former  differences  in  silence  for  the  future."  This 
pacification  was  superficial  and  short-lived. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  during  the  sessions  of  this 
Conference  at  Hartford  in  April,  1657,  at  the  desire  of  John 
Eliot,  who  was  present  from  Roxbury,  the  Podunk  Indians 
were  assembled  that  he  might  preach  the  Gospel  to  them. 
Mr.  Eliot  preached  to  them,  and  asked  them  if  they  would 
accept  Christ  as  their  Saviour.  But  their  chief  men  replied 
with  great  haughtiness  that  they  would  adhere  to  their  own 
religion.k 

In  the  month  of  June  (4-19)  the  General  Council  or  Synod 
nut  at  Boston,  and  discussed  the  questions  previously  pro- 
pounded by  the  Court  of  Connecticut.  The  result  of  their 
deliberations,  drawn  up  by  Richard  Mather  of  Dorchester, 
was  published  two  years  afterward  in  England,  and  was  enti- 
tled, "A  disputation  concerning  church-members  and  their 

1.  Mrs.,  page  68. 

i  Conn.  Col.  Rec,  1:  290;  Hull's  Diary,  in  Archreologiea  Americana,  3:  179, 
180.  For  Mr.  Stone's  confession  of  some  errors  and  failings,  made  at  this  con- 
ference, seeLansd.  Mss.,  page  71. 

k  Trumbull's  Hist.,  vol.  1  :  494. 


21 

children,  in  answer  to  twenty-one  questions."1  When  it  is  re- 
membered that  these  questions  came  from  Connecticut,  and 
were  drawn  up  as  the  heads  of  the  troubles  in  the  churches 
there,  and  especially  in  the  Hartford  church,  all  doubt  as  to 
the  real  roots  of  the  difficulties  in  the  Hartford  church  van- 
ishes. A  copy  of  these  questions  and  answers  was  formally 
presented  to  the  Court  of  Connecticut  by  Mr.  Stone,  and  they 
were  then  distributed  among  the  churches.™  In  their  answer 
to  the  tenth  of  the  twenty  one  questions,  this  Synod  gave  an 
endorsement  of  the  half-way  covenant  notion.  The  result 
was,  not  the  reconciliation,  but  the  greater  disturbance  and 
division  of  the  churches.  Most  of  the  churches  regarded  it 
as  an  innovation  of  most  dangerous  nature,  and  violently  op- 
posed it.n  Especially  in  Hartford,  the  church  was  thrown  into 
greater  contentions  than  ever.  The  dissenting  party,  com- 
prising some  of  the  most  influential  men  both  in  the  town  and 
in  the  church,  having  exhausted  all  means  of  procuring  letters 
of  regular  dismission  proceeded  to  withdraw  from  the  church, 
with  a  view  to  joining  the  church  at  Wethersfield.  Whereupon 
Mr.  Stone  instituted  disciplinary  proceedings  against  some  of 
them.*  In  November  the  withdrawers  addressed  the  church 
in  a  letter,  dated  the  11th  day,  in  which  they  declared,  "that 
having  long  lived  in  the  fire  of  contention,  using  and  seeking 
means  to  the  utmost  that  we  might  have  quenched  the  flame, 
and  we,  finding  ourselves  scorched  more  and 
more  therewith,  have  been  forced  by  Mr.  Stone's  breaking  of 
our  pacification,  after  all  other  trouble,  to  flee  from  that  which 
we  could  neither  quench  nor  bear."0  The  grounds  of  their 
withdrawing  were  enclosed  in  a  paper  dated  October  26th, 
which  is  not  found.  This  declaration  was  published  and  read 
in  several  churches. p 

1  Hubbard's  N.  E.,  563-569.     Mather's  Magnalia,  vol.  2:  278. 

"'  Conn.  Col.  Kec,  vol.  1  :  302. 

n  Congregational  Quarterly,  July,  1862.     Trumbull's  Hist.,  vol.  I  :  318,  319. 

*"The  breach  at  Hartford  again  renewed;  God  leaving  Mr.  Stone,  their  offi- 
cer, to  some  indiscretion,  as  to  neglect  the  church's  desire  in  the  celebrati >f  the 

Lord's  Supper,  and  to  proceed  to  some  acts  of  discipline  inward  the  form  :rly  dis- 
senting brethren."    Hull's  Diary,  183. 

0  Lansd.  Mas.,  page  77. 

p  Lansd.  Mss.,  page  79;  78,  note  by  J.  II.  Trumbull. 


22 

(in  the  4th  of  December  nine  gentlemen  of  Mr.  Stone's 
party  issued  a  "presentment"  to  the  General  Court,  of  the 
offences  of  the  withdrawers,  characterizing  their  late  declara- 
tion as  "a  defamation  of  Mr.  Stone  and  the  church  at  Hart- 
ford," accusing  them  as  utterly  unreasonable  in  their  with- 
drawing, and  invoking  the  interference  of  the  civil  authority 
to  prohibit  them  from  removing  from  the  church. q 

It  is  noteworthy  that  two  of  the  nine  men  who  subscribed 
this  presentment — George  Stocking  and  George  Graves — were 
afterwards  among  the  original  members  of  the  Second  Church. 
In  the  same  month  the  withdrawers  wrote  to  Governor  Eaton 
and  Rev.  John  Davenport  of  New  Haven,  stating  their  griev- 
ances.1" It  appears  that  there  had  been  proceedings  before  the 
governor  and  the  magistrates,  and  a  bitter  contention  was 
raging. 

(1658.)  In  the  month  of  February,  1657-8,  the  with- 
drawers sent  a  circular  letter  to  the  churches,  in  which  they 
announced  that  they  had  propounded  themselves  to  the  Weth- 
crsfield  church  for  communion  with  them.8  On  receiving  their 
application,  the  Wethersfield  church  asked  advice  of  other 
churches  as  to  whether  these  withdrawers  from  Hartford  might 
be  properly  received  by  them.  John  Davenport  of  New 
Haven,  sent  a  long  and  important  answer,  in  which  he  states 
the  case  of  the  withdrawers  with  great  adroitness,  justifies 
their  action,  is  severe  upon  Mr.  Stone,  and  declares  that  his 
church  will  stand  by  Wethersfield  church  if  they  shall  receive 
the  Hartford  brethren.1  John  Higginson  of  Guilford,  also 
made  reply.  His  letter  is  a  very  able  and  admirable  one."  It 
is  a  complete  and  intelligent  justification  of  the  withdrawing 
brethren,  and  reflects  severely  upon  Mr.  Stone's  obstinate  con- 
duct. "The  dissenting  brethren  have  submitted  to  the  judg- 
ment of  the  Council  in  both  parts  of  it.  *  *  Mr. 
Stone  and  the  church  there  have  not  submitted  to  the  judgment 
of  the  Council  in  either  part  of  it.  *  *  This  oppo- 
sition to  the  Council  by  Mr.  Stone  hath  been  the  blameablc  cause 


Lansd.  Mss.,  page  79.  *  Lansd.  Mss.,  page  86. 

Lansd.  Mss.,  page  82.  t  Lansd.  Mss.,  page  88. 

1  Lansd.  Mss.,  page  93;  96,  no  e  by  J.  H.  Trumbull. 


23 

of  the  continuance,  and  increase,  and  multiplying  of  those 
contentions  and  disorders  that  have  been  since  the  Council,  as 
also  it  hath  given  such         *  a  wound  to  the 

Congregational  way,  that  except  Mr.  Stone's  repentance  for 
it  be  as  publickly  known  as  his  sin  in  so  doing,"  &c.  "I  see 
not  where  the  dissenting  brethren  are  to  be  blamed  for  desiring 
this  dismission,  but  Mr.  Stone  and  the  church  are  to  be  blamed 
for  not  granting  their  dismission."' 

The  church  at  Hartford  had  not  appealed  to  the  civil  author- 
ity in  vain.  In  the  month  of  March  (11th)  the  General 
Court  ordered  that  no  persons  in  their  jurisdiction  should  in 
any  way  imbody  themselves  into  church  estate  without  the 
consent  of  the  Court  and  the  approbation  of  the  neighboring 
churches.  It  was  also  ordered  that  the  Hartford  church 
should  cease  from  all  further  prosecution  against  the  with- 
drawers, and  the  withdrawers  were  forbidden  to  prosecute 
their  propositions  to  join  the  Wethcrsneld  church  or  any  other 
church. v  The  elders  of  the  colony  were  desired  to  meet  the 
Court  on  the  24th  of  March,  to  assist  in  devising  some  means 
for  settling  the  troubles.  This  wretched  bat  peremptory  in- 
terference of  the  civil  authority  wrought  only  mischief.  It 
prohibited  the  minority  party  from  either  forming  themselves 
into  a  new  church,  or  from  joining  other  churches,  and  shut 
them  up  under  a  church  rule  and  in  a  church  relation  that 
had  become  simply  intolerable.  It  postponed  the  organization 
of  the  Second  Church  twelve  years,  and  sent  some  of  the  best 
men  of  the  town  up  the  river  to  Hadley. 

In  May,  Captain  Cullick  and  Elder  Goodwin  petitioned  the 
Massachusetts  General  Court  for  the  grant  of  a  plantation, 
purposing  to  remove,  with  others,  out  of  the  jurisdiction  of 
Connecticut.     Their  petition  was  granted. w 

In  the  month  of  August  the  Court  ordered  the  two  parties 
to  state  their  differences  in  writing,  and  discuss  them.  Fail- 
ing to  agree,  then  they  were  each  to  cheese  three  elders, 
whose  decision,  after  a  full  hearing,  was  to  be  final.     If  either 

v  Conn.  Col.  Rec.,  vol.  1  :  312. 

w  History  of  Hartley,  18,  19.  For  a  Bcrics  of  questions  presented  to  the  Court 
by  Mr.  Stone,  on  25th  of  March,  see  Conn.  Col.  Rec.,  vol.  1  :  317.  For  a  com- 
plaint made  to  the  Court  against  the  withdrawers,  see  Conn,  Col-  Rec,,  vol.  1  ;  318. 


24 

party  refused  to  choose,  then  the  Court  would  choose  for  them. 
The  withdrawers  accepted  the  proposition,  and  chose  Mr.  Da- 
venport, Mr.  Norton,  and  Mr.  Fitch.  The  church  refiised  to 
choose,  and  the  Court  chose  for  them.*  These  elders  were 
requested  to  meel  in  Hartford  by  the  17th  of  September.  The 
questions  for  disputation  were  drawn  up  by  Mr.  Stone,  on  his 
part,  in  Ins  most  aggravating  style,y  but  the  whole  endeavor 
fell  through,  as  Dr.  Trumbull  says,  by  the  fault  of  the  church.2 

(1(359.)  In  March,  1658-9,  the  General  Court  took  measures 
for  convening  another  Council  on  the  3d  day  of  June.a  On 
the  18th  of  April  the  withdrawers  and  their  friends  met  at 
Goodman  Ward's  house  in  Hartford,  and  signed  an  engagement 
to  remove  themselves  and  their  families  into  Massachusetts. b 

On  the  3d  of  June,  according  to  previous  appointment,  a 
Council  of  elders  and  messengers  from  Boston,  Cambridge, 
Charleston,  Ipswich,  Dedham,  and  Sudbury,  convened  at 
Hartford,  whose  endeavors  for  peace  were  so  far  encouraging, 
that  the  Court  requested  its  members,  and  in  addition  thereto, 
the  ciders  and  messengers  of  Dorchester  and  Watertown 
churches,  to  be  present  at  another  Council  in  Hartford  on  the 
19th  day  of  August.0  Dr.  Trumbull  is  quite  certainly  mis- 
taken in  saying  that  this  Council  assembled  again  in  Hartford 
at  the  appointed  time.  It  came  together,  not  in  Hartford  on 
the  19th  of  August,  but  in  Boston,  on  the  26th  of  September. 
Both  the  Hartford  parties  appeared  by  their  representatives. 
The  result  was  blessed  with  what  was  supposed  to  be  a  sweet 
re-union,  and  satisfaction  to  both  parties. d     In  view  of  this 

1  Conn.  Col.  Rec  ,  vol.  1  :  320,  321.  y  Lansd.  Mss.,  page  104. 

'  Trumbull's  Hist.,  vol.  1  :  321. 

»  Conn.  Col.  Rec,  vol.  1  :  334.  »  History  of  Hadley,  19. 

Cmn.  Col.  Rec,  vol.  1  :  339.     Trumbull's  Hist.,  vol.  1  :  321.     The"  Boston 

iind  Roxbury  churches  declined  to  participate  in  this  Council.     John  Wilson  and 

others  for  the  Boston  church,  and  John  Eliot  and  Isack  Gooch  for  the  Roxbury 

church,  wrote  to  the  General  Court  of  Connecticut,  declining  the  service,  for  the 

-  that  neither  of  the  two  parties  in  Hartford  had  asked  them  to  come,  and 

they  believed  that  such  a  Council  would  have  no  weight  and  do  no  good. 

For  this  letter,  dated  "Boston  19th  of  3d  month,  1659,"  see  the  forthcoming 

Becond  volume  of  Conn.  Hist.  Coll.,  page  108,  and  also  page  110,  note  by  J.  H. 

Trumbull. 

*  Hull's  Diary,  188.     Hubbard's  N.  E.,  page  570.     Rev.  Mr.  Hubbard,  of  Ips- 
wich, was  himself  a  member  of  the  Council. 


■lo 


good  result,  the  General  Court  of  Connecticut  proclaimed  a 
day  of  public  thanksgiving  throughout  the  colony. e 

For  several  years  there  seems  to  have  been  a  good  degree 
of  peace  in  Hartford.  Many  of  the  withdrawing  party  had 
removed  out  of  Connecticut;  some  of  either  party  had  left 
this  world,  and  the  Council  of  1659  in  Boston  effected  a  con- 
siderable, though  not  a  thorough  pacification. 

(1660.)  In  1660,  Mr.  John  Whiting  was  ordained  as  col- 
league of  Mr.  Stone  in  the  Hartford  church. 

(1662.)  Concerning  the  famous  Synod  which  was  held  in 
Boston,  in  1662,  to  affirm  more  explicitly  and  authoritatively 
the  decisions  of  the  Synod  of  1657  respecting  church  mem- 
bers and  baptism,  and  which,  after  many  sessions,  sanctioned 
and  authorized  the  half-way  covenant,  there  is  no  special  oc- 
casion for  remark  here.  The  two  questions  there  discussed 
and  answered,  were,  (1st,)  "who  are  the  subjects  of  baptism  ?" 
and  (2d,)  "whether,  according  to  the  word  of  God,  there 
ought  to  be  a  consociation  of  churches,  and  what  should  be 
the  manner  of  it  ?"  So  much  opposition  had  been  manifested 
among  the  churches  to  the  new  measures  for  enlarging  bap- 
tism, and  effecting  a  strong  church  government,  that  this 
Synod  was  called  as  necessary  to  the  authorization  and  estab- 
lishment of  the  reforming  principles.*" 

(1663.)  On  the  20th  of  July,  1663,  Mr.  Samuel  Stone  de- 
parted this  life,  after  "  feeding  the  flock  of  our  Lord  fourteen 
years  with  Mr.  Hooker,  and  sixteen  years  after  him."s 

(1664.)  Mr.  Joseph  Haynes  began  his  ministry  in  Hart- 
ford, as  the  colleague  of  Mr.  Whiting,  in  1661.     Both  these 

e  Conn.  Col.  Rec.,  vol.  1  :  343.  The  long  result  of  this  Council,  drawn  up, 
doubtless,  by  the  able  hand  of  Jonathan  Mitchell,  has  been,  until  recently,  in  man- 
uscript amon^  the  "Hutchinson  papers,"  in  the  Massachusetts  Eistorical  Society. 
I  am  spared  the  necessity  of  giving  any  abstract  of  it  here,  fur  the  entire  "  Result" 
will  soon  appear  in  the  pa^es  of  the  2d  vol.  Conn.  Hist.  Coll.  Sec  page  112, 
and  the  note  by  J.  II.  Trumbull. 

f  For  the  history  of  this  Synod  whose  results  newly  inflamed  tie-  churches,  the 
reader  is  referred  to  an  able  article  by  Dr.  II.  M.  Dexter,  in  the  Congregational 
Quarterly,  July,  1802,  and  to  Mather's  Magnalia,  Vol.  2:   27'.). 

e  Life  of  Mr.  Stone  in  Mather's  Magnalia,  Vol.  1  :  434.  It  is  -:ii<l  thai  Hart 
ford  was  named  after  the  birth-place  of  Mr.  Stone.  In  a  "Threnodia  upon  our 
churches'  second  dark  eclipse,  happening  July  20,  1063,  by  death's  interposition 


26 

young  men  wore  the  sons  of  distinguished  gentlemen  who 
were  among  the  first  settlers  of  Hartford.  Whiting  was 
about  twenty-nine  years  of  age,  and  Haynes  was  six  years 
younger.  Mr.  Whiting  held  to  the  old  ways,  and  was  the  rep- 
resentative of  the  former  dissenting  or  withdrawing  party  in 
the  church.  Mr.  Haynes  was  a  "large"  Congregationalist,  ac- 
re} iin  I  the  doctrines  of  the  Synod  of  1662  and  especially  its 
consociation  theories,  and  his  party,  in  the  subsequent  divis- 
ions, was  known  as  the  Presbyterian  party.  He  was,  more- 
over, a  zealous  man  in  his  ways,  and  between  him  and  Mr. 
Whiting  differences  and  disputes  soon  arose.  During  this 
same  year,  the  General  Court,  stirred  up  by  sundry  petitions 
of  some  who  were  aggrieved  that  they  were  not  admitted  to 
church  fellowship,  made  an  effort  to  enforce  the  practice  of 
the  Synodical  principles  upon  the  churches  of  the  colony.'1 
But  many  of  the  churches,  indeed  most  of  them,  still  resisted 
the  innovations,  though  it  is  evident  that  they  were  gradually 
compelled  by  the  pressure  of  a  very  strong  public  sentiment 
supported  by  the  authority  of  the  highest  civil  and  ecclesias- 
tical tribunals,  to  suffer  and  accept  the  half-way  covenant 
practice.  That  this  was  the  case  in  Hartford,  and  at  a  much 
earlier  date  than  has  commonly  been  supposed,  I  shall  by 
and  by  prove  by  facts  hitherto  unknown  to  writers  on  this 
subject. 

(1666.)  While  the  project  of  uniting  the  two  colonies  of 
Xew  Haven  and  Connecticut  was  under  discussion,  the  civil 
authorities  paid  little  attention  to  ecclesiastical  matters,  but 
after  the  consummation  of  that  union,  the  General  Court 
made  another  effort  to  settle  the  troubles  that  were  rife  in 
many  plantations.     A  hot  dispute  had  arisen  in  the  Hartford 

between  as  and  that  groat  light  and  divine.  Planet,  Mr.   Samuel  Stone,  late  of 

Hartford,  in  New  England,"  are  the  following  lines  : 

In  Hartford  Old,  Stone  first  drew  infant  breath, 
In  Xew,  effused  his  last :  0,  there  beneath 
His  corps  are  laid,  near  to  his  darling  hrother, 
Of  whom  dead  oft  ho  sighed.     Not  such  another  ! 
Heaven  is  the  more  desirable  said  he, 
For  Hooker,  Shepard,  Haynes'  company." 

Morton's  N.  E.  Mem.,  page  303. 
>'  Conn.  Col.  Rec.,  Vol.  1  ;  438, 


27 

Church.  There  was  an  open  rupture  between  the  two  min- 
isters. 

A  letter  from  John  Davenport  to  Governor  Winthrop,' 
dated  June,  1666,  reveals  a  sad  condition  of  things.  "The  peo- 
ple grow  woefully  divided,  and  the  better  sort  are  exceedingly 
grieved,  while  the  looser  and  worser  party  insult,  hoping  that 
it  will  be  as  they  would  have  it,  viz  :  that  the  plantations  shall 
be  brought  into  a  parish  way."  Mr.  Haynes,  when  it  was  his 
turn  to  preach,  sent  three  of  his  party  to  tell  Mr.  Whiting 
that  on  the  next  lecture-day  he  would  preach  about  his  way 
of  baptizing,  and  begin  the  practising  of  it  on  that  day.  Mr. 
Whiting  testified  against  it,  and  refused  his  consent.  A 
stormy  meeting  was  held.  The  aged  Mr.  Warham  of  Wind- 
sor attempted  to  speak,  but  was  rudely  silenced.  The  two 
ministers  arranged  for  a  public  dispute,  the  result  of  which  is 
unknown,  but  Mr.  Haynes  and  "  his  way  of  baptizing,"  which 
gave  great  offence  to  many,  were  in  the  majority,  and  the 
"  congregational  way,"  was  seriously  compromised  by  his  con- 
duct. A  Synod,  or  Assembly  as  it  was  afterwards  called  in 
deference  to  the  prejudices  of  many,  of  all  the  elders  and 
ministers  in  the  colony  was  appointed  for  the  third  Wednes- 
day in  May,  1667.  Four  ministers  from  Massachusetts  (and 
among  them  was  Mr.  Mitchell,  the  ablest  advocate  of  the  re- 
forming measures)  were  to  participate  in  the  assemblyJ  A 
series  of  seventeen  questions,  substantially  the  old  ones  of 
1657,  were  drawn  up  for  discussion.  The  object  of  this  coun- 
cil -was  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  more  willing  and  general 
reception  by  the  Connecticut  churches  of  the  measures  sanc- 
tioned by  the  Synod  of  1662.  The  assembly  of  ministers  con- 
vened according  to  appointment,  and  after  some  discussion 
adjourned  until  autumn.  But  they  never  met  again.  As  it 
seemed  likely  that  they  would  not  agree  in  endorsing  the 
Synod  principles,  measures  were  taken  to  prevent  their  re- 
assembling.k 

(1668.)    The  General  Court  of  May,  1668,  appointed  a  Com- 

1  Davenport's  letter  to  Gov.  Winthrop,  in  Mas^.  Eist.  Cull.,  3d  Series. 
J  Conn.  Col.  Rec,  Vol.  2:  54,  55. 

k  Trumbull's  Hist.,  Vol.  1  :  482. 


28 

mittee  of  four  eminent  divines,  "to  consider  of  some  expe- 
pedient  lor  our  peace,  by  searching  out  the  rule  and  thereby 
clearing  up  how  far  the  churches  and  people  may  walk  to- 
gether  within  themselves  and  one  with  another,  in  the  fellow- 
ship and  order  of  the  Gospel,  notwithstanding  some  various 
apprehensions  among  them  in  matters  of  discipline  respecting 
membership  and  baptism.^ 

This  is  the  first  gleam  of  light!  Something  like  sense  and 
wisdom  at  length  appears  in  the  ecclesiastical  intermeddling 
of  the  Court,  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  this  is  to  be  attrib- 
uted to  the  good  judgment  of  Governor  Winthrop. 

(1669.)  After  this  aforementioned  committee  had  made 
their  report,  and  in  accordance  with  its  wise  suggestions,  the 
I  General  Court  in  May,  1669,  declared  that  while  the  Congre- 
gational churches  should  still  be  countenanced  and  approved 
in  their  profession  and  practice,  yet,  "  to  persons  of  worth  for 
prudence  and  piety  amongst  us  who  are  otherwise  persuaded, 
*  *  *  allowance  of  their  persuasion  and  profession  in 
church  ways  or  assemblies  should  be  given,  without  disturb- 
ance."111 

This  most  important  order  of  toleration  was  a  virtual  re- 
peal of  the  act  of  March,  1658,  forbidding  separate  church 
assemblies,  &c.  The  long-looked  for  way  was  now  clearly 
open  to  the  minority  in  the  Hartford  Church  to  organize 
themselves  in  a  distinct  estate.  Without  delay  their  petition 
for  liberty  to  form  a  new  church  was  presented,  and  in  Octo- 
ber, the  General  Court  directed  the  Hartford  Church  "  to  take 
some  effectual  course"  that  Mr.  Whiting  and  his  party 
"  might  practice  the  congregational  way  without  disturbance 
cither  from  preaching  or  practice,  diversely  to  their  just  of- 
fence, or  else  to  grant  their  loving  consent  to  these  brethren  to 
walk  distinct,  according  to  such  their  congregational  princi- 
ples."11 In  the  vote  for  this  written  order,  four  magistrates 
and  fourteen  deputies  dissented.  Hartford  was  now  to  have  a 
second  church.     No  other  town  in  New  England,  save  Boston, 

1  (  onn.  Col.  Rec.,  Vol.  2  :  84. 

m  Conn.  Col.  Rec,  Vol.  2  :  107,  109.     Palfrey's  Hist.,  Vol.  3  :  1  IS. 

n  Conn.  Col.  Rec,  Vol.  2 :  120. 


29 

had  as  yet  more  than  one  church.  "  This  winter,"  says  Brad, 
street's  journal,  "  Hartford  Church  divided,  Mr.  Whiting  and 
his  party  refusing  to  hold  communion  with  Mr.  Haynes.  * 
*  *  Mr.  Haynes  and  those  with  him  being  looked  upon  as 
Presbyterians."0  The  new  order  of  toleration  cut  both  ways, 
for  within  a  month  from  the  time  when  the  Second  Church 
in  Hartford  was  formed,  the  party  in  the  church  at  Windsor 
that  dissented  from  the  strict  Congregationalism  of  old  Mr. 
Warham,  embraced  their  opportunity,  and  withdrew,  and  in 
March,  (1669-70,)  Mr.  Woodbridge  was  ordained  as  minister 
of  the  "  Presbyterian  party"  of  Windsor. 


On  the  22d  of  February,  1670,  (N.  S.)  Mr.  John  Whiting 
the  senior  pastor,  with  thirty-one  members  of  the  Hartford 
Church  and  with  their  families,  formed  the  Second  Church 
in  this  town.  A  full  account  of  this  transaction  is  con- 
tained in  a  paper  which  was  read  before  the  council  on  that 
day.  "  Having  had  the  consent  and  countenance  of  the  Gen- 
eral Court,  and  the  advice  of  an  ecclesiastical  council  to  en- 
courage us  in  embodying  as  a  church  by  ourselves,  accord- 
ingly, upon  the  day  of  completing  our  distinct  estate,  (viz: 
Feb.  12th,  1669,)  this  paper  was  read  before  the  messengers 
of  the  churches,  and  consented  to  by  ourselves,  viz  :P 

"The  holy  providence  of  the  Most  High  so  disposing,  that  public 
opposition  and  disturbance  hath  of  late  years  been  given  both  by 
preaching  and  practice  to  the  Congregational  way  of  church  order,  by 
all  manner  of  orderly  establishments  settled,  and  for  a  long  time 
unanimously  approved  and  peaceably  practiced  in  this  place  ;  all  en- 
deavors also  (both  among  ourselves  and  from  abroad)  with  due  pa- 
tience therein,  proving  fruitless  and  unsuccessful  to  the  removing  of 
that  disturbance;  we  whose  names  are  after  mentioned,  being  advised 
by  a  council  of  the  neighbor  churches,  and  allowed  also  by  the  Hon- 


°N.  E.  Hist,  and  Genealogical  Register,  10:  44. 

i"  The  caref'u!  reader  of  this  document  cannot  fail  to  perceive  beneath  the  veil  of 
it .->  courteous  language,  the  outlines  of  tlic  old  and  protracted  controversy. 


30 

ored  General  Court,  to  dispose  ourselves  into  a  capacity  of  distinct 
walking  in  order  to  a  peaceable  and  edifying  enjoyment  of  all  God's 
holy  ordinances;  we  do  declare,  that  according  to  the  light  we  have 
hitherto  received,  the  forementioned  Congregational  way  (for  the  sub- 
stance of  it)  as  formerly  settled,  professed  and  practiced,  under  the 
guidance  of  the  first  leaders  of  this  church  of  Hartford,  is  the  way 
of  Christ,  and  that  as  such  we  are  bound  in  duty  carefully  to  observe 
and  attend  it  until  such  further  light  (about  any  particular  points  of 
it)  shall  appear  to  us  from  the  Scripture  as  may  lead  us  with  joint  or 
general  satisfaction  to  be  otherwise  persuaded.  Some  main  heads  or 
principles  of  which  Congregational  way  of  church  order  are  those  that 
follow,  viz : 

"  First,  That  visible  saints  are  the  only  fit  matter,  and  confedera- 
tion the  form,  of  a  visible  church. 

"  Second,  That  a  competent  number  of  visible  saints  (with  their 
seed)  embodied  by  a  particular  covenant,  are  a  true,  distinct,  and  en- 
tire church  of  Christ. 

"Third,  That  such  a  particular  church  being  organized,  or  having 
furnished  itself  with  those  officers  that  Christ  hath  appointed,  hath  all 
the  power  and  privileges  of  a  church  belonging  to  it ;  in  special — 1st, 
to  admit  or  receive  members ;  2d,  to  deal  with,  and  if  need  be  reject, 
offenders  ;  3d,  to  administer  and  enjoy  all  other  ecclesiastical  ordi- 
nances within  itself. 

"  Fourth,  That  the  power  of  guidance  or  leading,  belongs  only  to 
the  Eldership,  and  the  power  of  judgment,  consent,  or  privilege,  be- 
longs to  the  fraternity  or  brethren  in  full  communion. 

"  Fifth,  That  communion  is  carefully  to  be  maintained  between 
all  the  churches  of  Christ,  according  to  his  order. 

"  Sixth,  That  counsel  in  cases  of  difficulty  is  to  be  sought  and 
submitted  to  according  to  God. 

"  The  Covenant  read  and  consented  to  the  same  day,  was  as  fol- 
loweth  : 

"  Since  it  hath  pleased  God,  in  his  infinite  mercy,  to  manifest  him- 
self willing  to  take  unworthy  sinners  near  unto  himself,  even  into  cov- 
enant relation  to  and  interest  in  him,  to  become  a  God  to  them  and 
avouch  them  to  be  his  people,  and  accordingly  to  command  and  en- 
courage them  to  give  up  themselves  and  their  children  also  unto  him  : 

••  We  do  therefore  this  day,  in  the  presence  of  God,  his  holy  angels, 
and  this  assembly,  avouch  the  Lord  Jehovah,  the  true  and  living  God. 
even  God  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  to  be  our  God, 


31 

and  give  up  ourselves  and  ours  also  unto  him,  to  be  his  subjects  and 
servants,  promising  through  grace  and  strength  from  Christ,  (without 
whom  we  can  do  nothing,)  to  walk  in  professed  subjection  to  him  as 
our  only  Lord  and  Lawgiver,  yielding  universal  obedience  to  his 
blessed  will,  according  to  what  discoveries  he  hath  made  or  hereafter 
shall  make  of  the  same  to  us  ;  in  special,  that  we  will  seek  him  in  all 
his  holy  ordinances  according  to  the  rules  of  the  gospel,  submitting  to 
his  government  in  this  particular  church,  and  walking  together  there- 
in with  all  brotherly  love  and  mutual  watchfulness,  to  the  building  up 
of  one  another  in  faith  and  love  unto  his  praise :  all  which  we  prom- 
ise to  perform,  the  Lord  helping  us  through  his  grace  in  Jesus  Christ. 

"Those  that  consented  to  the  above  written  covenant  upon  the  day 
mentioned,  were, 


BRETHREN   IN   FULL  COMMUNION. 

John  Whiting, 
James  Richards, 
Thomas  Bull, 
Robert  Webster, 
George  Grave,  Sen'r, 
George  Stocking, 
James  Ensing, 
Tho.  Bunce,  Sen'r, 
Tho.  AVatts, 
James  Steele, 
Joseph  Nash, 
John  Cole, 
Andrew  Benton, 
Benjamin  Ilarbert, 
John  Biddall. 


SISTERS   IN  FULL   COMMUNION. 

Frances  Stebbing, 
Sibilla  Whiting, 
Susanna  Bull, 
Sarah  Bunce, 
Agnis  (?)   Stocking, 
Margaret  Watson, 
Eliz:  Watts, 
Sarah  Ensing, 
Sarah  Grave, 
Margaret  Nash, 

Sanford, 

*Bethia  (?)  Steele, 

Hannah  Benton, 
Sarah  Biddall, 
Susannah  Arnold, 
Christian  Ilarbert, 

Whaples, 

Anne  Cole. 


*  The  name  Bethia  is  incorrectly  attached  to  Mrs.  Steele's  name.  Bcthiah 
Steele,  James  Steele's  sn-,, ml  wit;-,  came  from  Middlctown  and  joined  this  church 
in  1685!  The  woman  mentioned  in  this  list  was  James  Steele's  first  wife,  and 
her  name  is  now  unknown.  Frances  Stebbing,  as  being  a  godly  and  venerable 
mother  in  Israel,  was  placed  at  the  head  <>f  the  sist  srs,  even  above  Sibilla  Whit- 
ing,  th"  pastor's  wife, — a  most  delicate  testimonial  to  the  esteem  in  which  she  was 
held. 


32 


"  The  children  of  the  church,  or  members  not  yet  in  full  commun- 
ion, that  personally  manifested  their  desire  of  joining  with  us  in  our 
distinct  estate,  and  accordingly  owned  the  covenant,  were, 


Sarah  Richards, 
Susanna  Bunce, 
Eliz:  Warren, 
Hannah  Eston, 
Sarah  Worthington, 
Eliz:   White, 
Sarah  Merold?, 
Mary  Seamer, 
Mary  Mekins, 
Lydia  Smith, 
Ruth  Bull, 
Lydia  Cole, 
Hannah  Benton, 
Hannah  Smith, 
Sarah  Biddall. 


Nathaniel  Standly, 
John  Church, 
John  Marsh, 
Stephen  Hosmer, 
Thus.  Bunce,  Jun'r, 
John  Seamer, 
Jacob  White, 
John  Eston, 
John  Day, 
Joseph  Bull, 
Jonathan  Bull, 
David  Bull, 
John  Bunce, 
John  Wilson, 
Samuel  Hubbard, 
John  Watson, 
Thos.  Halee, 
Arthur  Smith, 
Jonathan  Gilbert, 
John  Biddall, 
Joseph  Biddall. 


These  " children  of  the  church,"  "members  not  in  full 
communion,"  not  only  came  forward  to  "  own  the  covenant," 
but  some  of  them  were  married  people  who  immediately 
thereafter  brought  their  children  to  baptism,  as  will  be  shown. 

On  the  same  day  the  church  chose  Mr.  Whiting  for  their 
pastor,  and  upon  his  acceptance  he  was  immediately  "  re-or- 
dained "  with  prayer  and  the  imposition  of  hands  by  the  Rev. 
Joseph  Elliot  and  the  Rev.  Nath'l  Collins,*  the  other  mes- 
sengers  of  the  churches  approving  what  was  done  by  affording 
the  right  band  of  fellowship.  It  has  already  been  mentioned 
that  two  of  the  founders  of  this  church, — George  Grave,  and 
George  Stocking, — had  previously  been  conspicuous  in  their 
opposition  to  the   withdrawing  party.     The  last  name  on  the 


*  Brother  of  Mrs.  Whiting. 


list  of  original  members  is  Anne  Cole.  Bnt  Anne  Cole  had  a 
sad  distinction  in  her  earlier  days,  as  a  letter  of  her  pastor, 
dated  December,  1682,  informs  us.'i  In  the  year  1662,  she, 
then  living  in  her  father's  house,  was  taken  with  strange  fits, 
wherein  her  tongue  was  improved  by  a  demon  in  most  won- 
derful ways,  so  that  she  even  talked  in  Dutch  to  the  astonish- 
ment of  Mr.  Stone  and  other  godly  men  who  strove  to  relieve 
her.  Finally,  after  a  poor,  old,  ugly,  ignorant  (and  probably 
crazy)  woman  had  confessed  herself  in  covenant  with  Satan, 
and  had  been  hung  together  with  her  husband,  and  several 
Dutch  people  had  evinced  their  guilt  by  obstinately  floating 
in  water  (instead  of  sinking  in  it  as  all  innocent  people  should 
do,)  and  had  fled  the  country,  poor  Anne  Cole  had  abatement 
of  her  sorrows,  became  a  sensible  woman,  married  Andrew 
Benton,  became  a  good  christian,  helped  form  this  good  old; 
church,  obtained  a  good  report,  and  doubtless  died  in  peace, 
in  due  time. 

In  another  letter  (October,  1683,)  Mr.  Whiting  gives  a  pa- 
thetic account  of  the  tragical  end  of  the  son  of  Rev.  Samuel 
Stone.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  gifts  and  culture,  and  was  edu- 
cated for  the  ministry,  but  fell  into  a  "  course  of  notorious 
drunkenness."  On  the  9th  of  October,  1683,  early  in  the 
morning,  lie  was  found  dead  "  in  the  little  river  that  runs 
through  the  town  of  Hartford."  In  the  darkness  of  the  night. 
after  a  day  of  dissipation,  his  uncertain  feet  had  missed  the 
bridge,  he  had  fallen  down  upon  the  rocks,  rolled  into  the  water, 
"  and  there  lay  dead  at  break  of  day."  In  another  letter; 
(October,  1682,)  Mr.  Whiting  mentions  a  fearful  sickness 
that  prevailed  in  Hartford  at  that  time,  one  of  the  numerous 
victims   of  which  was  Rev.  Isaac  Foster,  successor   of  Mr. 


i  See  Mather  Papers,  in  Mass.  Hist.  Coll.,  Vol.  8,  where  several  letters  of  Mr. 
Whiting  may  be  found.  See  also  Inerea<e  Mather's  "  RemarkaUe  Providences,' 
(London,  1856,)  page  97,  and  "  Magnalia,"  Vol.  2  :  448. 

The  two  persons  executed  were  Nathaniel  Greensmith,  and  Rebecca  his  wife. 
They  confessed  their  guilt,  were  convicted,  Dee.  30, 16(52,  and  weiv  executed  ./an. 
25,  1662-3.     This  was  the  last  execution  lor  witchcraft  in  Connecticut  Colony. 

Records  of  particular  court,  .Ms-.,  Vol.2:  page  182.  (By  kindness  of.  Mr 
C.J.  Hoadly.) 


34 

Hayiies  in  the  First  Church,  and  cut  off  in  the  second  year 
of  his  pastorate.' 

Nol  long  since  a  small,  dingy,  closely  written  manuscript 
was  discovered  in  an  old  trunk  belongingto  a  Seymour  family, 
which  on  examination  proved  to  be  a  fragment  of  the  early 
records  of  this  church,  containing  little  else,  however,  than 
a  list  of  admissions  to  the  church,  and  also  a  list  of  children 
baptized  in  the  church,  from  the  beginning  down  to  the  year 
1731.  It  was  evidently  prepared  during  the  ministry  of  Mr. 
Buckingham,  with  great  care  to  make  the  list  of  admissions 
and  baptisms  as  complete  as  possible.  A  careful  study  of 
this  document  has  enabled  me  to  correct  and  fix  several 
dates  of  importance,  to  learn  the  names  of  several  deacons 
of  the  church  in  its  earlier  days,  and  to  state  with  certainty 
several  interesting  facts  concerning  the  condition  of  the 
church  during  the  first  sixty  years  of  its  history. 

In  March,  1677,  Mr.  John  White  (he  was  one  of  the  orig- 
inal withdrawers  who  went  to  Hadley,  and  returned  to  Hart- 
ford in  1671)  was  chosen  and  ordained  to  the  office  of  Ruling 
Eider,  "  in  the  presence  and  with  the  approbation  of  the 
elders  and  messengers  of  some  neighbor  churches."  "  This 
holy  man,  having  faithfully  served  the  Lord  in  his  place,  and 
that  also  with  good  success  through  grace,  (He  was  a  good 
'  man  and  God  was  with  him)  fell  asleep  in  Christ,  and  went 
to  receive  his  reward,  January,  1683,"  (1683-4.)8 

••  .March  24,  1685-6.  The  church  and  the  children  of  it 
renewed  the  covenant,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  form  of  it  writ- 
ten  in  a  Loose  sheet  among  the  papers  belonging  to  the  church."1 
The  names  of  sixty-eight  persons  who  were  received  into  full 
communion  during  Mr.  Whiting's  ministry,  are  on  record. 
Twenty-five  persons  were  so  received  in  1678.  During  the 
same  period  about  two  hundred  and  sixty  children  were  bad 
i  ized.  Their  names,  their  parents'  names,  and  the  exact  date 
of  their  baptism  are  now  known. 


Mr.  Haynes  died  in  1679.  Mr.  Foster  was  settled  over  the  old  church  in  168(1 
and  died  in  1 682. 

Old  church  records. 

Frequent  reference  is  made  in  the  fragment  here  quoted,  to  other  and  fuller 
church  records  that  have  perished. 


35 

Dr.  Trumbull,  in  his  Hist,  of  Conn.,  (Vol.  1:  497)  says 
that  the  practice  of  owning  the  covenant  did  not  obtain  in 
the  churches  of  Conn.  Colony  until  the  year  1(39(3,  and  was 
first  introduced  by  Mr.  Woodbridge,  (third  minister  of  the 
old  church)  at  Hartford.  This  is  a  mistake.  The  practice 
alluded  to  was  observed  in  the  Hartford  churches  nearly  thirty 
years  earlier  than  he  supposes. 

A  comparative  examination  of  the  lists  of  persons  received 
to  this  church  and  of  the  children  baptized  in  it,  contained  in 
the  old  records  already  alluded  to,  reveals  the  fact  that  the 
half-way  covenant  was  practised  in  the  Second  Church  of 
Hartford  from  the  very  first.  And  it  must  have  been  pre- 
viously practised  for  some  time  in  the  old  church.  The  new 
way  of  baptism  came  gradually  to  be  tolerated,  and  allowed, 
and  accepted  after  the  Synod  of  1662.  Resistance  to  it  was 
overcome  by  the  pressure  of  a  public  sentiment  that  rapidly 
grew  to  be  overwhelmingly  in  its  favor.  Among  the  thirty- 
six  kw  children  of  the  church  "  who  on  the  day  this  church  was 
formed,  "  personally  owned  the  covenant,"  though  not  in  full 
communion,  were  several  people  of  mature  years,  and  some 
married  people. 

Of  these,  Lydia  Smith  brought  her  child  to  be  baptized 
within  a  month  of  the  time  she  had  owned  the  covenant. 
Her  child  was  the  second  one  baptized  in  this  church. 

John  Seamer,  John  Eston,  Thos.  Bunce,  Jun'r,  Stephen 
Hosmer,  John  Marsh,  were  all  "  children  of  the  church," 
"members  not  in  full  communion,"  who  "  personally  owned 
the  covenanl  "  on  the  day  the  church  was  organized,  and  who, 
within  a  few  months  time,  had  children  baptized  in  the  church. 

Following  out  the  records  carefully,  we  find  ihai  these  bap- 
tized children  of  non-communicants,  so  soon  asthej  came  to 
be  parents,  hastened  to  "own  the  covenant*'  and  present  their 
children  for  baptism,  most  of  them  never  coming  into  full 
communion.  It  is  a  significanl  fact  that  these  ownings  of  the 
covenant  almost  invariably  occur  in  connection  with  the  bap- 
tism of  children.  The  record  often  rr;u\s — "A.  B.  admitted 
to  a  state  of  adult  membership  on  owning  the  covenant,  and 
his  children  baptized  the  same  day."     As  a  general  rule,  the 


36 

li;ill-w;i\  covenanters  never  got  more  than  halfway  into  the 
church.  The  font  was  taken  from  its  place  by  the  commun- 
ion table  and  placed  in  the  vestibule,  and  an  outer-court 
church  thronged  with  people  bearing  infant  children  in  their 
arms  to  be  bapt  ized,  was  perpetuated.  Mr.  Whiting's  brother 
and  his  son  also  were  among  these  half-way  covenanters.  It 
may  seem  strange  that  the  men  who  strove  so  long  in  the  old 
church  against  the  new  ways,  should  so  soon  and  so  easily 
have  received  tins  practice.  But  fourteen  years  had  made 
great  changes,  bad  shifted  the  original  grounds  of  controversy 
somewhat,  and  had  given  rise  to  a  public  opinion  on  the  sub- 
ject that,  supported  as  it  was  by  the  highest  authorities,  was 
irresistible. 

George  Grave,  who  died  in  1673,  was  probably  the  first 
deacon  of  this  church.  Stephen  Hosmer  was  a  deacon  of  the 
church  in  1687  ;  John  Wilson,  in  1688,  and  Daniel  Merrels, 
in  1714.  Joseph  Easton,  who  died  in  1711,  John  Merolds  and 
Thomas  Bunce,  both  of  whom  died  in  1712,  were  also  dea- 
cons. It  is  probable  that  Paul  Peck,  who  died  in  1695,  and 
Samuel  Smith,  who  died  in  1707,  filled  the  same  office. 

There  were  goodly  families  in  those  days.  Rev.  Mr.  Whit- 
ing was  the  father  of  fourteen  children,  having  had  seven  by 
each  of  his  two  wives.  His  son,  Lieut.  Charles  Whiting  was 
twice  blessed  with  twins.  Thomas  Dickinson  had  at  least  ten 
children  ;  Mr.  Nath'l  Standly  had  eleven  ;  John  Cole  brought 
his  seventh  daughter  to  be  baptized,  and  several  children 
afterward  ;  Mr.  Richard  Lord  had  nine  children;  John  Marsh 
had  ten  ;  and  John  Turner  had  twelve. 

Concerning  Rev.  Mr.  John  Whiting,  the  first  pastor  of  this 
church,  Cotton  Mather  said,  "  He  will  never  be  forgotten 
till  Connecticut  Colony  do  forget  itself,  and  all  religion."  He 
was  the  second  son  of  Maj.  William  Whiting  who  was  one  of 
the  original  settlers  of  Hartford,  a  man  of  wealth  and  influ- 
ence, a  magistrate  and  treasurer  of  the  colony.  John  Whit- 
ing was  born  in  1635, graduated  at  Harvard  in  1653,  preached 
for  some  time  (1658)  at  Salem,  came  to  Hartford  and  was 
settled  as  colleague  of  Mr.  Stone  in  1660,  became  pastor  of 
the  Second  Church   in  February,  1669-70,  in  which  office  he 


37 

continued  till  his  death.  September  8th,  1689.  His  first  wife 
was  Sybil  Collins,  daughter  of  "  a  good  old  man  called  I  Ed- 
ward) Collins,  the  deacon  of  the  church  at  Cambridge."'1 
Her  seventh  and  last  child  was  baptized  only  two  months 
after  the  organization  of  this  church,  and  she  died  soon  aft  ;r, 
for  in  1673,  Mr.  Whiting  took  for  a  second  wife  Phebe  Greg- 
son,  of  Xew  Haven,  as  the  baptism  of  her  first  child  in  No- 
vember, 1674  shows.  Mr.  Whiting's  fourteenth  and  Last 
child,  and  the  seventh  by  his  second  wife,  was  baptized  in 
June,  1688,  about  a  year  before  his  father's  death. 

In  the  year  167.").  Mr.  Whiting  accompanied  the  Connecti- 
cut troops  under  Maj.  Treat,  in  the  Indian  war.  as  Chaplain. v 
His  son,  Col.  William  Whiting,  was  an  experienced  and  able 
officer,  and  commanded  the  Connecticut  troops  sent  to  Port 
Royal  in  171U.  Mr.  Whiting  preached  an  election  sermon, 
May  13th,  1686.  entitled.  ••  The  Way  of  Israel's  Welfare,"  a 
copy  of  which  is  preserved  in  the  Historical  Society  of  Hart- 
ford."' 

When  the  first  meeting  house  of  this  society  was  erected  is 
not  known,  but  its  location  has  been  ascertained.  In  January. 
1705-6,  the  widow  of  Maj.  Jonathan  Bull  (she  was  Mr.  Whit- 
ing's daughter)  conveyed  to  Xath'l  Standly,  Richard  Lord, 
Thomas  Bunce  and  others,  "for  the  accommodation  of  making 
some  enlargement  to  the  South  Meeting  House,"  a  small  par- 
cel of  land.2  The  exact  dimensions  and  boundaries  of  this 
strip  of  ground  are  given  in  the  conveyance.  The  location 
and  boundaries  of  Maj.   Bull's  house  lot  are  also  known,  and 

■  Two  of  this  good  man's  sons  were  "famous  persons  in  their  generation."  Nath'l 
Collins  was  the  mncfa  esteemed  minister  ;it  Middletown.  John  Collins  was  a 
celebrated  preacher  in  London,  and  the  chaplain  of  Gen.  Monk  when  lie  went 
from  Scotland  to  England. 

T  Conn.  Col.  Rec.,  Vol.  2  :  356-8. 

"It  is  likely  that  Mr.  Whiting  fell  a  victim  to  the  epidemic  sickness  thai  pre- 
railed  in  August  and  September  throughout  thecolony,  and  on  account  of  which 
the  General  Court  was  unable  to  meet  in  August  Secretary  Allen  wrote  to  Gov. 
Bradstreet,  Aug.  9,  1689:  "  It  is  a  very  Bickly  time  in  most  of  our  plantation*, 
in  some,  two-thirds  of  our  people  are  confined  to  their  beds  or  houses,  and  it  is 
feared  Borne  suffer  for  want  of  tendanc  ■  amongst  us  and  the  great  drought  begins 
to  be  very  afflictive."  Also  Sept.  4.—"  The  sickness  is  indeed  rery  sore  in  most 
of  our  towns."     Conn.  Col.  Rec.,  Vol.  4  :  l,  Note. 

'Conn.  Col.  Rec,  Vol.  4:  512. 


38 

s«t  the  data  necessary  for  reckoning  the  position  of  the  old 
meeting  house  are  given.  It  was  a  small  and  unsightly  build- 
in-',  and  stood  on  the  easl  side  of  Main  Street,  between  Little 
River  and  the  south  corner  of  Main  and  Sheldon  Streets,  in 
the  highway. 3 

Each  Lord's  day  the  people  of  Hartford  town  came  together 
for  worship  in  the  meeting  house  at  nine  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  at  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.2  The  morning  ser- 
vice began  with  a  prayer,  after  which  a  chapter  of  the  Scrip- 
tures was  read  and  expounded.  Then  a  Psalm  was  sung,  the 
Ruling  Elder  lining  the  Psalm.  The  sermon  was  then 
preached  from  notes  only,  and  the  service  was  concluded  with 
a  prayer  and  a  blessing.     Mr.   Warham  of  Windsor,  is  said 

y  Hartford  Roc.  Deeds  1  :  397.  A  dim  tradition  has  located  this  building  sev- 
eral rods  further  south,  near  the  house  of  Mrs.  Albert  W.  Butler,  and  I  have  been 
told  that  when  the  Butler  house  was  built,  what  were  supposed  to  he  the  founda- 
tions of  the  old  meeting  house  were  discovered.  Some  persons  whose  opinions 
on  the  matter  are  entitled  to  great  weight  still  believe. that  this  tradition  is  well 
founded.  It  may  be.  It  is  certain,  however,  that  the  meeting  house  stood  on 
side  of  Main  Street,  somewhere  between  Little  River  and  the  house  of 
Mrs.  Albert  W.  Butler.  The  opinion  given  in  the  text  is  that  of  Mr.  J. 
Hammond  Trumbull,  and  the  evidence  therefor  is  as  follows  : — The  strip  of  land 
conveyed  by  Mrs.  Bull  was  about  fifty  feet  long,  and  fifteen  feet  broad,  and  was 
bounded  east  and  south  by  her  house  lot,  west  by  a  street  or  highway,  (Main  St.,) 
and  north  by  the  meeting  house  yard.  The  meeting  house  then  stood  on  the  cast 
side  of  Main  St  ,  and  north  of  Maj.  Jonathan  Bull's  house  lot.  Maj.  Bull's  house 
lot  was  the  north  half  of  a  lot  extending  from  Sheldon  St.  to  Charter  Oak  Avenue, 
on  Main  St.  In  all  conveyances  of  this  lot,  which  was  originally  laid  out  to  An- 
drew Bacon,  it  is  bounded  north  on  the  highway, — that  is,  by  the  road  along  the 
south  bank  of  Little  River.  Now,  as  Mrs.  Bull's  conveyance  of  a  strip  of  land 
off  the  north  side  of  her  house  lot,  bounds  it  north  by  the  meeting  house  yard,  the 
location  of  the  meeting  house  would  seem  to  have  been  between  Little  River  and 
the  south  corner  of  Main  and  Sheldon  Sts.,  or  hard  by  what  is  now  Harbison's 
Stun-.  Near  by,  on  Main  St.,  somewhere  between  Little  River  and  College  St., 
a  School  House  which  was  built  about  1666. 

'Hartford  had  a  town-crier  and  bell-ringer  as  early  as  1641,  at  least,  and  in  1643, 
the  town  ordered  "  a  bell  to  lie  run*  by  the  watch  every  morning,  an  hour  before 
daybreak,"  and  "that  there  should  be  in  every  house,  one  up  and  have  made  some 
light  within,  one-quarter  of  an  hour  after  the  end  of  the  bell-ringing." — J.  Ham- 
mond Trumbull,  note  to  Lechford's  Plaine  Dealing. 

When  the  Second  Church  was  formed,  there  was  an  agreement  between  the  two 
-  that  they  should  have  a  joint  property  and  interest  in  the  bell  which  was 
to  hang  on  the  meeting  house  of  the  old  church.     In  1725,  the  bell  was  cracked 
or  broken  so  as  to  be-  useless. 

Dec.  19,  1726,  the  First   Society  directed  Mr.  John  Edwards  at  the    charge  of 


39 

to  have  been  the  first  minister  in  New  England,  who  made  a 
practice  of  reading  fully  written  sermons.  The  afternoon 
service  was  opened  with  prayer,  then  a  psalm  and  another 
prayer,  then  the  sermon  and  a  prayer.  Then  baptism  was 
administered,  and  if  we  may  judge  from  what  took  place  in 
this  church,  there  were  baptisms  nearly  every  Sunday  in  the 
churches,  in  those  days.  Then  the  deacon  rose  in  his  seat 
and  announced  the  contribution,  whereupon  the  principal  men 
first,  then  the  elders,  then  the  people  generally  came  forward 
to  the  Deacon's  seat  where  their  offerings  of  various  descrip- 
tions were  deposited.  Some  curious  orders  of  the  Courts 
show  that  there  were  people  in  the  good  old  times  mean 
enough  to  palm  off  worthless  articles  on  such  occasions  under 
the  pretence  of  benevolence.  There  were  no  fires  in  the 
sanctuary.  Directly  in  front  of  the  pulpit  and  facing  the  con- 
gregation sat  the  Ruling  Elder  in  an  elevated  scat,  and  in 
front  of  him,  somewhat  lower,  sat  the  deacons.  The  pews 
were  "  dignified,"  and  the  pew  nearest  the  pulpit  on  the  right, 
was  usually  assigned  to  the  minister. 

The  delicate  and  difficult  duty  of  "  seating  the  meeting 
house,"  was  not  performed  without  occasioning  much  jealousy 
and  ill-feeling.  Men  and  women  were  seated  separately  on 
opposite  sides  of  the  house,  according  to  their  office,  age,  or 
social  rank,  while  the  children  were  gathered  by  themselves 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  require  special  supervision  to  keep 
them  in  good  behavior.* 

Mr.  Whiting  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Bucking- 

the  Society,  to  purchase  some  suitable  red  bunting  for  a  flag  to  be  set  up  on  the 
State  House  to  direct  for  meeting  upon  the  public  worship  of  God.  In  1727,  both 
societies  {(greed  in  levying  a  rate  of  80  pounds  for  recasting  the  bell.  Hezekiah 
Wyllisfor  the  First  Church,  and  Capt.  Nathaniel  Stanly  for  the  Second  Church, 
were  to  see  to  it,  &c. 

As  it  had  been  agreed  that  the  bell  should  hang  in  the  old  meeting  house  until 
the  major  part  of  both  societies  should  agree  to  hang  it  elsewhere,  when,  in  1737, 
the  First  Society  came  to  build  a  new  meeting  house,  they  claimed  and  asked  the 
Second  Society  to  bear  their  -hare  of  the  expense  of  the  new  steeplein  which  t<> 
hang  the  common  bell.     (First  Ecc.  Soc.  Rcc.) 

•Dec.  25,  1716,  roted  by  the  First  Church,  that  all  the  boys  under  16  years  old 
shall  .-it  below,  some  in  the  guard  seats  and  some  in  the  alley.  Sam'l  Shepard 
and  Tho.  Day  to  sit  in  guard  to  take  care  of  the  boys  there. 


40 

ham.  In  mi  interleaved  almanac  of  1692,  (shown  to  me  by 
George  Brinley,  Esq.,  of  Hartford,)  the  Rev.  James  Pierpont, 
4th  minister  of  New  Haven,  writes  under  date  of  March  11th, 
as  follows  : — "I  went  to  Hartford  to  transact  with  the  new 
church  about  my  brother  Benjamin's  settlement,  and  returned 
the  19th."  It  would  seem  from  this  item  that  Rev.  Benj. 
Pierpont  was  talked  of  in  Hartford  as  Mr.  Whiting's  successor 
in  L692.  Mr.  Buckingham  could  not  then  have  been  settled 
here  in  1G90,  as  has  been  heretofore  assumed.  Indeed,  the 
recently  discovered  records  of  the  church  prove  that  he  began 
his  ministry  here  in  1694,  the  church  having  been  without  a 
settled  pastor  for  nearly  five  years.  He  graduated  at  Har- 
vard in  1690.  Mr.  Buckingham  labored  as  pastor  of  this 
church  for  thirty-seven  years, — or  from  1694  till  November 
19th,  1731,  the  day  of  his  death.  Not  long  before  his  settle- 
ment here,  Rev.  Timothy  Woodbridge  was  settled  over  the 
First  Church.  These  two  ministers  labored  side  by  side  in 
good  accord  for  nearly  forty  years,  and  died  together,  as  it 
were,  Mr.  Woodbridge  surviving  Mr.  Buckingham  only  six 
months. 

The  second  pastor  of  this  church  was  one  of  the  most  emi- 
nent ministers  in  Connecticut, — a  gentleman  of  engaging 
manners,  superior  abilities,  and  exemplary  character. 

By  request  of  the  Governor  and  Council,  he  served  as  Chap- 
lain in  the  expedition  of  1710  against  Port  Royal,  and  in  that 
of  1711,  against  Crown  Point,  his  place  being  supplied  by 
public  charge,  and  his  services  requited  by  the  sum  of  six 
pi  muds  in  money  per  month.  Subsequently  the  sum  of  ten 
pounds  was  granted  him  in  consideration  of  his  readiness  to 
go  into  the  expedition,  and  the  good  service  he  did,  and  also, 
in  consideration  that  he  served  the  most  part  of  the  time  alone. a 

In  May,  1719,  both  the  Hartford  ministers  were  chosen  as 
representatives  from  this  town  to  the  General  Assembly,  prob- 
acy because  they  had  so  stoutly  resisted  the  removal  of  the 
collegiate  school  fromSaybrook  to  New  Haven,  instead  of  to 
Wethersfield  or  Hartford. b     Mr.  Woodbridge  was  not  permit- 


.«  Conn.  Col.  Rec,  Vol.  5  :  255,  265,  287.     His  diary  during  this  service  was 
published  in  1825. 

b  Trumbull's  Hist.  Vol.  2  :  30. 


41 

ted  to  take  his  seat,  on  account  of  some  disrespectful  remarks 
he  had  made  concerning  the  civil  authorities.  As  Mr.  Buck- 
ingham did  not  take  his  seat,  it  is  probable  that  he  was  in  the 
same  condemnation.0  During  the  pastorates  of  Woodbridge 
and  Buckingham,  both  the  Hartford  churches  were  very  zeal- 
ously practising  the  half-way  covenant.  In  1696*  nearly  all  the 
young  people  in  the  First  congregation  subscribed  the  cove- 
nant proposed  to  them.  The  ministers  were  in  the  habit  of 
going  among  the  people  once  a  year  and  drumming  them  up 
to  this  duty.  They  came  in  large  numbers,  presented  their 
children  for  baptism,  and  that  was  the  end  of  it.d  They  made 
no  pretence  of  conversion,  did  not  come  to  the  Lord's  Supper, 
and  the  number  of  communicants  was  very  small.  The  Hart- 
ford North  Association,  in  1711,  passed  several  resolutions 
with  a  view  to  checking  the  alarming  declension  in  morals 
and  religion.  Their  recommendations  were  numerous,  but 
the  chief  duty  insisted  upon  was  that  of  urging  the  people  gen- 
erally to  "own  the  covenant."  These  resolutions  were  read 
in  the  Second  church  of  Hartford,  and  proposed  to  the  peo- 
ple, December  30th,  1711. e  A  day  of  fasting  and  prayer  en- 
sued. The  people  were  urged  to  own  the  covenant  very  much 
as  they  are  urged  in  temperance  meetings  to  sign  the  pledge. 
It  was  an  easy  way  of  fulfilling  all  righteousness,  and  a  short 
road  to  reformation.  Over  one  hundred  persons  came  for- 
ward to  subscribe,  and  went  their  way.  Some  knowledge  is 
thus  given  us  of  the  condition  of  things  under  Mr.  Bucking- 
ham's ministry,  and  of  the  means  that  were  used  for  the  ref- 
ormation of  society,  the  revival  of  religion,  and  the  edifica- 
tion of  the  church. f    In  the  year  1715,  the  pastors  of  the 

cFragmcnt  of  Col.  Rcc.  Mss.,  C.  J.  Hoadly,  Esq. 

*By  certain  votes  of  the  First  Society  in  Dec,  1696,  and  in  the  next  month, 
it  appears  that  the  project  of  paying  "  the  minister's  rate  in  a  joint  way  unto  tin 
ministers  that  belong  to  the  north  ami  south  meeting  houses  ami  churches  in 
Hartford,"  was  discussed  in  both  societies,  and  committees  were  appointed  by 
either  society  to  treat  of  the  matter,  with  what  resultis  unknown. — First  Kcc.  Soc. 
Records. 

d  Trumbull's  Hist ,  Vol.  2  :  497-*. 

"Dr.  Trumbull  refersin  this  connection  to  the  "Records  of  the  South  Church 
in  Hartford."     Vol.2:  18,  19.     These  records  are  not  found. 

1  In  the  winter  of  1710-11,  the  Conn.  River  was  not  frozen  over  below  Hart- 
ford, nor  for  several  miles  above  it. 


42 

( lonnecticul  churches  reported  a  great  scarcity  of  Bibles,  great 
neglect  of  public  worship,  of  catechising,  and  of  family  dis- 
cipline, and  an  alarming  abundance  of  most  every  mention a- 
ble  form  of  evil,  whereupon  vigorous  reforming  measures 
were  adopted  by  the  Legislature. s 

In  bis  election  sermon,  entitled,  "Moses  and  Aaron," 
preached  May  9th,  1728,  Mr.  Buckingham  made  some  pointed 
allusions  to  "  some  who  have  risen  up  among  you  speaking 
perverse  things,  blaspheming  the  constitution  and  order  of 
your  churches,  *  *  *  who  unchurch  the  best  and  great- 
est part  of  christians,  and  leave  you  with  the  best  of  your 
flocks  to  unconverted  mercies,  *  *  *  merely  for  the  sake 
of  non-agreement  with  them  in  a  few  unscriptural  rites  and 
notions."  The  reference  to  several  cases  of  separation  from 
the  "standing  order,"  and  to  the  gradual  growth  of  the  Epis- 
copal church  in  Connecticut,  is  unmistakeable. 

One  hundred  and  forty  persons  were  admitted  to  full  com- 
munion during  the  pastorate  of  Mr.  Buckingham.  Twenty- 
five  were  admitted  in  1712.  About  eight  hundred  and  fifty 
children  were  baptized  during  the  same  period.11 

In  1727  an  effort  was  made  to  re-unite  the  two  Hartford 
churches.  The  First  Church  were  about  to  build  a  new  House 
of  worship,  and  the  small  and  uncouth  South  Meeting  house 
needed  to  be  replaced  by  some  larger  and  better  building. 
At  a  meeting  of  the  First  Society,  in  January,  1726-7,  to  con- 
sider of  building  a  new  meeting  house  in  place  of  that  which 
then  stood  on  what  is  now  the  State  House  yard, it  was  voted, 
"  as  it  would  be  more  for  the  honor,  comfort,  union,  and  ease 
of  the  town,  and  for  the  more  easy  and  honorable  support  of 
the  ministry  amongst  us,  that  one  meeting  house  may  be 
be  built  for  the  meeting  of  all  the  people  that  belong  to  the 
two  societies,  &c,  &c,  that  his  Honor  the  Governor,  Capt. 
Eezekiah  Wvllys,  Capt.  John  Sheldon,  andDea.  Thomas  Rich- 
ards be  a  committee  from  this  society,  to  propose  the  premises 
to  our  friends  of  the  new  church,  and  endeavor  that  a  meet- 
ing of  said  society  may  be  gained,  to  see  if  they  are  of  our 

*  Trumbull's  Hist.,  Vol.  2:  20,  21. 
1  Old  church  records. 


43 

mind,  and  whether  they  will  join  with  us  to  build  a  house  for 
the  public  worship  of  God,  and  unite  into  one  society."1  The 
new  church  were  not  willing,  and  after  a  protracted  contro- 
versy between  "those  of  the  North  side  "  and  "  those  of  the 
South  side"  in  the  First  Society,  as  to  where  their  new  house 
should  be  located,  it  was  finally  decided  to  build  "  on  the 
south-east  corner  of  the  burying-lot,"  and  there  in  1737,  the 
"brick  meeting  house"  was  erected  where  the  Center  Church 
edifice  now  stands. 

The  successor  of  Mr.  Buckingham  was  the  Rev.  Elnathan 
Whitman,  son  of  Samuel  Whitman  who  was  minister  at 
Farmington  from  1706  till  1751.  He  was  settled  as  pastor 
over  this  church  on  November  29th,  1732,  in  which  office  he 
labored  for  about  forty-five  years,  until  his  death  which  oc- 
curred in  March,  1777.  During  six  years  of  this  time,  he  was 
assisted  by  a  colleague  of  whom  we  shall  presently  speak. 
Mr.  Whitman  was  a  portly,  dignified,  noble  man,  and  one 
of  the  most  godly  ministers  this  church  has  ever  had.  There 
are  no  records  of  the  church,  during  the  period  of  his  min- 
istry, in  existence.  For  several  years  prior  to  the  date  of  Mr. 
Whitman's  settlement  here,  the  state  of  religion  throughout 
New  England  had  been  lamentably  low.  The  bitter  fruits  of 
the  half-way  covenant  system  were  being  gathered  in  anguish 
of  spirit  and  despair  of  heart.  A  cold,  lifeless  morality  and 
the  use  of  empty  forms  of  religion  were  characteristic  of  the 
churches.  The  ministers  also  were  often  mere  moralizers  and 
ordinance-servers. 

In  these  days  of  alarming  declension,  the  great  revival,  in 
which  Jonathan  Edwards  took  so  conspicuous  a  part,  and  to 
the  increase  of  which  Whitfield's  wonderful  eloquence  con- 
tributed so  much,  began.  The  measures  that  had  broughl 
sad  disaster  upon  the  churches  were  rebuked  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  began  to  be  abandoned.  Jonathan  Edwards  sound- 
ed the  note  of  deliverance,J  the  Gospel  of  regeneration  began 
to  be  preached  again,  and  all  the  dry  bones  of  (lie  valley  com- 
menced to  stir  with  mysterious  life.     Whoso  would  warm  his 

1  Letter  of  C.  J.  Hoadly,  Esq.,  in  Hartford  Courant,  Jan.  18,  18fi8. 
3  Edwards  maintained,  "That  none  ought  to  be  admitted   t"  the  communion 
and  privileges  of  meml>ers  of  the  visible  church  of  Chris!  in  complete  standingi 


44 

cold  heart,  and  quicken  his  sluggish  pulses,  and  be  translated, 
as  it  were,  into  a  sweet  and  celestial  region,  let  him  read  the 
wonderful  narrative  of  this  "  great  awakening,"  which  Mr. 
I'M  wart  Is  wrote  while  as  yet  the  songs  of  rejoicing  angels  had 
not  ceased,  and  his  great  mind  was  full  of  a  music  that  was 
like  theirs.  Preaching  began  to  be  powerful  as  it  dwelt  now 
on  the  dying  love  of  Christ,  the  sovereign  grace  of  God,  the 
necessity  of  regeneration  and  pardon  through  faith  in  Jesus 
the  crucified.  Multitudes  came  forward,  not  to  sign  pledges 
and  own  covenants,  and  use  rites,  but  to  ask  "  what  must  I 
do  to  be  saved,"  or  to  testify  of  God's  renewing  grace.  Great 
assemblies  that  came  together  (as  at  Enfield  to  hear  Edwards) 
in  irreverence  and  carelessness,  were  shaken  so  that  their  de- 
monstrations of  concern  filled  the  house.  Connecticut  was 
more  remarkably  the  scene  of  powerful  revivals  than  any  part 
of  the  whole  country. k  During  the  year  1740,  1741,  1742, 
nearly  every  part  of  the  colony  was  reached  and  blessed  by 
the  glorious  work.  Among  the  ministers  who  most  favored 
the  work  (while  others  opposed  it)  was  Mr.  Whitman  of  this 
church.  His  lot  was  cast  in  with  Mills,  and  i'omeroy,  and 
Wheelock,  and  Bellamy,  and  doubtless  his  own  church  was 
among  those  that  were  abundantly  refreshed. 

In  January,  1749,  the  South  society  applied  to  the  County 
Court  to  fix  a  site  for  a  new  meeting  house.  The  place  fixed 
upon  not  proving  acceptable,  the  General  Court,  in  May,  1752, 
appointed  a  committee  to  select  a  location,  and  they  reported 
a  site  "  in  the  highway,  a  little  north  of  the  house  of  Mr. 
Joseph  Buckingham."1  The  Second  Meeting  house  of  this 
society  was  erected  on  the  site  thus  determined,  about  the  year 
1754.     There  is  no  record  of  the  exact  date  of  its  comple- 

but  such  as  are,  in  profession  and  in  the  eye  of  the  church's  christian  judgment, 
goldy  or  gracious  persons."     (Works,  Vol.  4.) 

"  The  doctrine  here  maintained  by  our  dear  and  reverend  brother,  was  brought 
over  hither  by  the  pious  and  judicious  fathers  of  this  country  from  the  Puritans 
in  England,  and  held  by  them  and  their  successors  in  our  churches  above  three 
score  years  without  dissension." 

(Rev.  Messrs.  Thomas  Prince,  John  Webb,  Thomas  Foxcroft,  and  Mather 
Byles  in  a  preface  to  Edward's  Inquiry.) 

k  Trumbull's  Hist.,  Vol.  2  :   156. 

1  Conn.  Col.  Ree.,  Vol.  8  :  107-113. 


45 

tion  or  dedication.  It  is  well  remembered  by  many  now  liv- 
ing among  us.  One  gentleman  in  this  city  well  remembars 
one  event  that  occurred  in  it  during  Dr.  Flint's  ministry.  He 
was  a  boy  then,  and  one  summer  Sunday,  during  a  long 
prayer,  he  thought  he  might  steal  a  look  out  of  the  open 
window  unnoticed.  He  put  his  head  out,  and  suddenly  the 
raised  sash  fell  down  upon  his  shoulders  and  held  him  fast  in 
a  ridiculous  attitude,  until  he  was  released  by  others.  An 
admirable  ground-plan  of  the  building  has  recently  been 
drawn  by  Capt.  Nathaniel  Woodhouse,  who  for  some  years 
worshiped  in  it.  It  stood  in  the  highway,  directly  across 
Buckingham  Street,  which  was  then  wide  enough  to  allow 
road-way  at  either  end  of  the  building,  its  longest  side  on  Main 
Street,  with  an  entrance  at  the  south  end,  a  porch  at  the  north 
or  steeple  end,  and  a  main  entrance  on  Main  Street. 

At  this  time  (1756)  the  population  of  Hartford,  including 
both  East  and  West  Hartford,  was  only  a  little  more  than 
three  thousand. 

In  July,  1762,  Mrs.  Anne  Burnham  bequeathed  to  this  so- 
ciety the  house  and  homestead  where  she  then  resided,  con- 
taining about  five  acres  of  land.  This  property  extending  on 
Main  Street  from  Buckingham  to  Park  Street,  had  belonged 
to  her  son,  Joseph  Buckingham.  He  had  intended  to  give  it 
to  the  church,  but  died  suddenly  before  completing  a  convey- 
ance of  the  property,  and  his  mother  piously  executed  his 
pur  pose. m 

In  this  same  year  the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  was 
planted  in  Hartford,  and  the  first  organization  of  Christ 
Church  was  effects  I. 

When  Mr.  Whitman  had  been  pastor  of  the  church  about 
thirty-five  years,  his  health  became  so  much  impaired  that  it 
seemed  necessary  to  settle  a  colleague  pastor.  At  a  meeting 
of  the  South  Society,  January,  1767,"  it  was  voted  to  invite 
the  Rev.  Win.  Patten  to  become  the  colleague  pastor  of  this 
church.  It  was  voted  to  lease  him  one  acre  of  land  for  999 
years  "  at  the  rate  of  one  pepper  corn  of  land   per,  annum, 

ra  Records  of  Second  Ecc.  Soc. 

n  From  this  date  the  records  of  the  society  are  complete. 


46 

rent,"  and  also  to  give  him  the  sum  of  three  hundred  and  fifty 
pounds,  lawful  money,  as  a  settlement. 

This  money  was  to  be  paid  in  labor  and  materials  to  build 
a  house  and  barn.  Should  Mr.  Patten  cease  from  the  ministry 
here  on  his  own  account  within  ten  years,  two-thirds  of  the 
settlement  should  be  returned,  if  he  should  go  away  at  the 
end  of  twenty  years,  one-third  was  to  be  returned.  If  he 
should  remain  thirty  years,  the  settlement  should  be  his  un- 
conditionally. His  annual  salary  was  fixed  at  one  hundred 
pounds.  Mr.  Whitman  had  eighty-five  pounds,  annually,  and 
the  use  of  the  Parsonage  land  secured  unto  him  by  the  so- 
ciety. Mr.  Patten  accepted  the  call,  and  on  the  23d  of  Sep- 
tember, 1767,  was  installed. 

In  the  144th  number  of  the  Connecticut  Courant,  there  is 
a  letter  which  sets  forth  with  unusual  particularity  the  details 
of  this  installation,  and  gives  the  entire  text  of  Mr.  Whitman's 
charge  to  his  colleague.0  It  reads  much  like  one  which  Dr. 
Hawes  would  have  written,  and  is  of  course  good.  The  ser- 
mon was  by  Mr.  Wheelock  of  Lebanon,  and  Mr.  Lockwood  of 
Wuthersfield  gave  the  right  hand  of  fellowship.  "The  whole 
was  conducted  with  decency  and  decorum."  In  the  next  issue 
of  the  Couranl  a  few  "lines"  were  printed,  addressed  "  to  the 
author  of  the  charge  inserted  in  the  last  "  issue  of  that  paper." 

"  Behold  the  venerable  seer  began  ! 
Strange  the  attention  and  the  listening  ear ! 
As  when  the  dying  father  calls  to  his  bed, 
His  children  bidding  his  last  farewell. 
Solemn  the  charge,  instructive  every  line, 
While  flowing  tears  bedewed  the  hearer's  cheeks. 
Blessed  man  !  for  spotless  sanctity  renowned, 
Loved  by  the  good  and  by  the  guilty  feared, 
X"  railing  pen  can  sully  your  deserts, 
Nor  blot  your  name  from  the  celestial  roll, 
Unfading  crowns  and  laurels  ever  green, 
Immortal  prizes  wait  for  you  above." 

We  gladly  believe  for  dear  old  Mr.   Whitman's  sake,  that 
these  lines  contain  far  more  truth  than  poetry. 

0  Conn.  Courant,  Sept.  28,  1767.     The  Courant  was  established  by  Thomas 
Green,  in  Oct.  1764. 


47 

This  same  year  Mr.  Thos.  Seymour  was  appointed  to  read 
the  Psalm,  and  Mr.  James  Bunce  was  added  to  the  committee 
for  seating  the  meeting  house. 

The  following  document  may  be  worth  noticing : 

Hartford,  May  30th,  1767. 
Whereas,  a  challenge  was  given  by  fifteen  men  south  of  the  great 
bridge  in  Hartford,  to  an  equal  number  north  of  said  bridge,  to  play 
a  game  of  cricket  the  day  after  the  last  election,  the  Public  are  here- 
by informed  that  the  challenged  beat  the  challengers  by  a  great  ma- 
jority. Now  ?aid  north  do  hereby  acquaint  the  south  side  that  they 
are  not  afraid  to  meet  them  with  any  number  they  shall  choose,  and 
give  them  the  liberty  of  picking  their  men  among  themselves,  and 
also  the  best  players  both  in  the  West  Division  and  Wethersfield. 
Witness  our  hands  (in  the  name  of  the  whole  company). 

William  Pratt, 
Niell  McLean,  Jr. 

One  striking  event,  at  least,  occurred  in  the  summer  of 
1771,  when  the  meeting  house  and  steeple  were  struck  and 
badly  damaged  by  lightning. 

In  1773,  it  was  voted  in  the  society,  "  that  the  reading  of 
the  Psalm,  as  heretofore  practiced,  shall  be  omitted."  There 
is  evidence  that  from  this  time  forward  much  attention  was 
given  to  the  instruction  of  the  people  in  the  "art  of  psalmody." 

In  the  summer  of  July,  1772,  very  serious  charges  of  in- 
temperance were  formally  made  by  certain  members  of  the 
church,  against  Rev.  Mr.  Patten,  and  an  investigation  of  them 
was  demanded  and  became  necessary.  The  society  voted  in 
favor  of  an  enquiry  into  the  general  "  uneasiness  "  thai  pre- 
vailed respecting  Mr.  Patten.  The  charges  were  preferred  by 
Daniel  Steel,  Jonathan  Welles,  and  James  Bunce,  "  for  our- 
selves and  the  rest  of  the  members  of  said  church.'*  An 
Ecclesiastical  Council  met  in  Eartford,  at  the  call  of  Mr. 
Whitman,  on  October  6th,  1772,  to  hear  and  judge  of  this 
complaint.  Rev.  Solomon  Williams  was  moderator,  and  EteV. 
Enoch  Huntington,  scribe  of  the  Council.  Twenty-three  dis- 
tinct articles  of  complaint,  with  specifications  of  time,  place, 
and  circumstances  of  offence  were  laid  before  the  council. 


48 

The  trial  held  on  a  long  time,  but  finally  after  having  fully 
lica i<l  and  considered  the  case,  the  Council  gave  an  opinion 
which  partly  exonerated  and  partly  condemned  Mr.  Patten. 
The  church  and  society  insisted  on  his  dismission,  and  an- 
other council  was  soon  after  called,  by  whose  action  Mr.  Patten 
was  dismissed,  not  however,  without  receiving  some  sort  of 
recommendation  to  other  churches,  p 

He  was  dismissed  in  April,  1773. 

His  earthly  labors  were  soon  ended,  for  after  lingering  two 
years  in  broken  health,  he  died,  aged  thirty-six,  on  the  16th 
of  June,  1775,  in  his  father's  house  at  Roxbury.  He  was 
born  at  Billerica,  in  March,  1738,  graduated  at  Harvard  in 
1T.")4,  was  ordained,  when  not  quite  nineteen  years  old,  at 
Halifax,  Mass.,  where  he  preached  nearly  ten  years.  He  was 
settled  in  Hartford  about  seven  years,  and  was  an  unusually 
attractive  and  popular  preacher.  His  wife,  a  daughter  of 
Pres.  Wheelock  of  Dartmouth  College,  a  most  godly  woman, 
passed  her  long  life  here,  dying  in  December,  1831,  at  the 
age  of  ninety-one. <i 

After  a  few  years  service,  the  good  and  venerable  Mr. 
Whitman,  died  in  March,  1777,  in  the  forty-fifth  year  of  his 
faithful  ministry.  A  very  good  portrait  of  him  is  to  be  seen 
in  the  Historical  Rooms  in  this  city,  and  also  a  portrait  of  his 
wife.r 

p  A  complete  copy  of  all  the  charges  made  against  Mr.  Patten,  with  specifica- 
tions and  proofs,  &c,  and  also  of  the  doings  of  both  the  Councils  that  were  held 
to  consider  the  matter  is  in  my  possession.  The  records  of  the  society  say  little 
about  it.  I  have  written  so  much  and  only  so  much  of  the  sad  affair  as  seemed 
to  be  necessary,  in  view  of  some  rumors  and  traditions  that  have  been  abroad  con- 
cerning Mr.  Patten.  It  is  evident  that  the  good  and  wise  men  who  heard  the 
case  had  a  deep  sympathy  for  their  brother  who  had  fallen  into  temptation.  He 
was  a  good  man. 

i  Among  his  children  were  Ecv.  Win.  Patten,  D.  D.,  for  nearly  fifty  years 
minister  at  Newport,  who  died  in  Hartford,  in  1839,  aged  seventy-six  ;  George  J. 
Patten,  who  for  many  years  taught  a  well-known  school  in  this  city,  and  died  in 
1830.  Bnth  and  Mary  Patten,  who  were  often  seen  in  their  oldagein  the  Fourth 
chnrcb  of  Hartford  by  persons  now  living,  and  who  died  here,  the  one  in  March, 
1850,  aged  eighty-six,  and  the  other  in  the  month  following,  aged  eighty-one. 

r  Mr.  Whitman's  services  were  frequently  sought  in  public  services,  and  he 
preached  the  election  sermon,  May  9th,  1745. 


49 

During  the  Revolutionary  war.  from  1777  till  1784,  the 
church  was  destitute  of  a  settled  pastor,  although  from  no 
lark  of  earnest  efforts  to  procure  one.  In  January,  177s. 
Mr.  Abraham  Baldwin  was  invited  to  preach  on  probation, 
but  declined.  He  was  then  a  Tutor  in  Yale  College;  and  af- 
terwards studied  law,  went  to  Savannah,  was  a  member  of 
the  Constitutional  Convention,  a  member  of  Congress  from 
Georgia  until  1799,  and  afterward   Senator,  until  his  death. 

In  February  of  the  same  year,  Mr.  Joseph  Buckminster, 
who  was  associated  as  Tutor  at  Yale  College  with  Mr.  Bald- 
win, came  hither  to  preach.  In  April  he  was  invited  in  be- 
come the  Pastor  of  this  church.  Four  hundred  pounds  were 
voted  him  as  ;i  settlement,  and  one  hundred  and  thirty  pounds 
annually  for  a  salary,  "the  whole  to  be  paid  in  labor,  wheat, 
rye,  corn,  beef,  pork,  wool,  wood,  flax,  and  cheese,  according  to 
the  rates  and  prices  enumerated  in  and  by  a  certain  ad  of  ibis 
State,  made  December  18th,  1776,  entitled, '  an  act  to  pre- 
vent monopolies  and  oppressions,'  &c,  &c,  or  in  current 
money  equivalent  thereto."  The  call  was  declined,  however, 
and  he  settled  shortly  after  in  Portsmouth,  N.  II..  where  lie 
remained  for  thirty-three  years.  His  son,  Joseph  Stevens 
Buckminster,  was  the  still  more  famous  and  eloquent  clergy- 
man, (Unitarian,)  who  for  many  years  preached  in  Brattle  St. 
church,  Boston.8 

In  1779,  a  certain  Rev.  Dr.  Rogers  was  tempted  with  the 
offer  of  twelve  dollars  a  Sabbath,  to  be  paid  in  wheat  at  nine 
shillings  and  nine  pence  per  bushel,  &c,  &c,  and  thirty  cords 
of  wood  each  year,  besides  pasture  Ibr  a  cow  and  two  horses, 
to  come  here  and  preach  the  Gospel.  Mr.  Rogers  withstood 
the  temptation,  in  1780,  the  society  voted  in  consideration 
of  many  of  the  older  people,  "  thai  fertile  future  no  rotes 
shall  be  passed  by  this  Parish  at  any  of  their  meetings  after 
sunset,  unless  by  special  rote  they  order  others 

In  1781,  the  services  of  Rev.  Samuel  .Miller  were  ineffect- 
ually sought. 

■New  Am,  I  Vol.  i:  55.    See  " memoirs  of  J.  Buckminster,  I'   l> 

and  of  his  son,  Rev.  Jos.  Steven    Bucki  •  ElizaBuckn  Bo 

ton,    1851. 


50 

In  May,  1783,  the  Society,  desirous  of  obtaining  a  minister 
"  of  eminence  and  distinction  as  the  surest  way  to  mutual 
edification  and  influence,  and  being  of  the  opinion  that  it  is 
not  inconsistent  or  contrary  to  the  Gospel  Plan  to  make  ap- 
plication to  any  gentleman  in  the  ministry  (examples  of  which 
have  been  frequent)  to  remove  and  settle  here,"  extended  a 
call  to  Rev.  Mr.  Nathan  Williams  of  Tolland.  The  call  was 
declined,  and  Mr.  Williams  remained  at  Tolland  till  1827, 
when  he  died  aged  ninety-four,  his  wife  surviving  him  six 
years  and  dying  at  length,  aged  ninety-five. 

In  1784,  January  7th,  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Boardman  was 
invited  to  become  the  pastor  of  this  church.  Besides  the  use 
of  the  parsonage  house  and  grounds,  he  was  to  receive  the 
sum  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds  lawful  money,  an- 
nually, "  during  the  time  that  he  and  the  major  part  of  this 
church  and  society  shall  be  mutually  agreed  in  each  other, 
which  is  the  only  bond  of  christian  community!"  Mr.  Board- 
man  replied  that  he  considered  the  invitation  a  call  of  Provi- 
dence, and  would  accept  it,  provided  the  stipulation  for  salary 
should  read,  instead  of  so  many  pounds,  &c,  "  four  hundred 
Spanish  milled  dollars,"  and  provided  these  Spanish  dollars 
should  be  made  sure  to  him  by  some  provision  for  the  punc- 
tual payment  of  the  same.  He  was  installed  May  6th,  1784. 
"  The  council  convened  at  the  house  of  Capt.  Aaron  Bull, 
whence  the  church,  with  sundry  respectable  characters 
marched  in  order  to  the  meeting  house."  Rev.  Dr.  Goodrich 
preached  the  sermon,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Strong  gave  the  right 
hand  "  in  a  polite  and  elegant  manner."  The  following 
"  little  bill  "  will  serve  to  show  with  what  good  cheer  the  min- 
isters comforted  themselves  on  solemn  church  occasions.  On 
the  back  of  the  bill  is  written,  "  Ordination  :  eight  pounds  al- 
lowed and  order  given  on  treasurer  in  full." 

"  1784.     The  South  Society  in  Hartford,  to  Israel  Seymour,  Dr.* 
May  4th,  to  keeping  ministers,  &c. 

"      "    to  2  mugs  tody,  -  -  £0— 2— 4 

"    to  5  segars,  -  0 — 5-10 

"      "    to  1  pint  wine,  -  -  0 — 3 — 0 

1  Israel  Seymour's  tavern  stood  where  Trinity  College  now  stands. 


51 

May  4th,  to  3  lodgings,  -  -  -         0 — 0 — 9 

May  5th,  to  3  bitters,       -  -  -  0 — 0—9 

"      ';    to  3  breakfasts,         -  -  -         0—3—6 

"       "    to  15  boles  punch,  -  -  1-10 — 0 

"      "    to  24  dinners,  -  -  -         1-10—0 

"      "    to  11  bottles  wine,  -  -  3—6—0 

"      "    to  5  mugs  flip,         -  -  -         0—5-10 

"      "    to  3  boles  punch,  -  -  0—6—0 

"      "     to  3  boles  tody,       -  -  -         0—3—6 


£8—3-1 1 
Received  by  me,  Iskaki.  Seymour. 

In  this  same  year  the  city  of  Hartford  was  incorporated. 

In  1786  an  important  bequest  involving  lands  of  considera- 
ble extent  and  value  was  made  to  this  society  by  Mr.  William 
Stanley." 

Mr.  Boardman  had  served  as  Chaplain  during  the  war  of  the 
Revolution,  and  tradition  says,  that  by  virtue  of  having  been 
able  to  make  himself  heard  in  prayer  at  great  range,  he  had 
earned  for  himself  the  Roundheadish  soubriquet  of  "  Big- 
Gun-of-the-Gospel  Boardman."  From  his  portrait  which 
hangs  in  the  Historical  Rooms,  we  should  infer  that,  physi- 
cally at  least,  he  was  able  to  pray  at  any  reasonable  length  or 
distance.  Of  the  seven  years  of  his  active  labors  here  very 
little  is  known,  save  that  they  were  years  in  which  the  society 
was  struggling  under  unusually  heavy  financial  burdens,  and 
the  church  was  lying  in  a  very  low  and  unpromising  condition. 
The  "four  hundred  Spanish  milled  dollars "  were  iml  paid 
punctually.  In  1789  the  salary  was  reduced  twenty-five  per 
cent.,  and  the  society  was  greatly  in  debt  to  their  pastor. 

This  same  year  the  First  Baptisl  Church  in  Hartford  was 
organized,  though  their  house  of  worship  (on  the  corner  of 
Temple  and  Market  Sis.,;  was  not  erected  (ill  nine  years 
later. 

In  April,  1790,  Mr.  Boardman  requested  a  dismission: 
Some  arrangement  was  made  between  him  and   the  society, 

"The  details  of  tins  legacy  it  is  nor  accessary  to  enumerate.  The  will  specially 
provided  for  the  purchase  of  a  tankard  of  a  certain  size  and  shape  for  the  com* 
munion  table.    This  tankard  was  u»-d  at  the  Bi-centennial  Communion  Service. 


52 

I iy  which  he  was  to  retire  from  all  duty  and  responsibility  as 
minister,  although  there  was  no  formal  dismission  by  an  Ec- 
clesiastical Council.  Rev.  Mr.  Boardman  died  on  the  12th  of 
February,  1802. 

The  population  of  Hartford,  in  1790,  including  both  East 
and  West  Hartford,  was  about  four  thousand,  having  in- 
creased one  thousand  in  thirty-four  years. 

On  the  3d  of  February,  1791,  with  Mr.  Boardman's  hearty 
concurrence,  the  society  unanimously  invited  Mr.  Abel  Flint, 
who  had  been  preaching  here  some  months,  to  settle  as  their 
pastor.  The  church  concurred  in  this  action.  He  was  to 
have  the  use  of  the  Parsonage  house  and  grounds,  and  for  a 
salary,  the  sum  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds,  annually, 
for  seven  years,  and  after  that  time,  the  sum  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds.  Rev.  Mr.  Flint  was  ordained  as  Pastor  of 
this  church  on  the  20th  of  April,  1791.  Rev.  D.  D.  Hitch- 
cock of  Providence  preached  the  ordination  sermon.  The 
following  document  will  interpret  itself. 

(On  back.)  "  Expense  of  Mr.  Flint's  ordination.  16  men 
to  dine  1  clay,  and  40  the  2d  day.     April  20,  1791." 

-South  Society  to  Thos.  Seymour,  Dr.,  for  the  expenses  attending  the 
ordination  of  Mr.  Flint,  April  19  and  20,  1791. 

To  ")0  lemons  at  10s.,         ....  £0-10 — 0 

"     3  gallons  of  wine  of  D.  Bull,         -              -              -  0-16-10 

"     1  gallon  of  ditto,  of  G.  Burnham,        -             -  0 — 6 — 6 

"     1  ditto  of  cherry  rum,          -  0-10 — 0 

"     1  gallon  of  best  spirits,             -  0 — 6 — 0 

"     2  quarts  of  brandy,            ....  0 — 3 — 0 

li     1  large  loaf  of  sugar,  16  lbs.  at  Is.  6c?.,             -  1 — 4 — 0 

"     1  brown  sugar,  half  quarter,  10s.,                -             -  0-10 — 0 

"     half  barrel  of  best  cyder,        ...  i> — Q — o 

"     60  wt.  of  best  flour,           ....  0-12— 0 

"     24  lbs.  of  butter,        --  0-18 — 0 

"     10  doz.  eggs  at  6c?.,            ....  o — 5 — q 

"     1  bushel  of  apples,      -             -             -             -  () — 3 — 1 

"     spices,       ---...  0—6—0 

K     raisins,     ,                       -              -              -              -  it — 3 — 0 

"     3  lbs.  of  coffee,     -  0 2 4 

"     1  lb.  of  tea,    -             -             -             -             -  0 — S — 0 


53 

To  18  lbs.  best  beef,                ....  £0—6—0 

"  2  qrs.  veal,  &c,            ....  0-15-10 

"  1  turkey,                .....  0— G— 8 

"  1  doz.  fowls,                 ....  0-12—0 

••  3  hams  at  Cxi,       .....  0-18—6 

"  vegetables,      -----  0—8—6 

"  pickles,  2s.  Gd.,     -----  0—2—6 

"  pipes,  Is.  6c?.,               ....  0 — 1 — 6 

"  tobacco,  4s.  3c?.,     -----  0 — 4 — 3 

"  2  bushels  oats,             ....  0—3—0 

"  hire  of  attendance,             -  1-16 — <» 

"  hire  house  cleaned,                   ...  0 — 4 — 0 

"  walnut  wood,         -----  0 — 3 — 0 

"  extra  trouble,               ....  3 — 0 — 0 


Total,  ....     £16-15—7 

The  catalogue  of  members  of  the  church,  and  also  the  rec- 
ords of  the  church  from  the  date  of  Mr.  Flint's  ordination  are 
complete.  Here  may  be  inserted  the  following  action  of  the 
church  in  1794  : — "  Voted,  as  the  unanimous  opinion  of  this 
church,  that  it  is  unnecessary  for  those  who  have  once  made 
a  public  profession  of  religion  by  owning  the  covenant  of  this 
church  for  the  purpose  of  having  their  children  baptized,  to 
own  the  covenant  again  previous  to  coming  to  the  commun- 
ion. And  that  whenever  any  such  persons  shall  be  desirous 
of  becoming  members  in  fall  communion,  all  that  is  required 
of  them  is  that  they  signify  their  desire  to  the  Pastor,  to  be 
communicated  to  the  church." 

When  Mr.  Flint  took  charge  of  this  church,  it  was  Dearly 
exhausted.  There  were  but  twenty-seven  members, — three 
less  than  ;it  the  beginning,  in  1670.  In  eight  years  only  six- 
teen persons  joined  the  church  on  profession  of  faith.  Butiu 
the  years  1798  and  1799,  quite  a  powerful  revival  of  religion 
was  experienced  in  this  town,  and  the  church  thenceforth 
started  on  a  new  career.  Twenty-six  persons  were  admitted 
by  profession,  in  1799. v 

The  city  of  Hartford  began  to  show  signs  of  an  increasing 
enterprise  and  prosperity.     In    L792,  the  Hartford  Banfc  was 

'Conn.  Evangelical  Mag.  for  1808. 


54 

established.  In  1704,  the  erection  of  the  State  House  was 
commenced.  In  the  ten  years  from  1790  to  1800,  the  popu- 
lation of  the  town  increased  from  four  thousand  to  more  than 
five  thousand,  gaining  more  by  over  three  hundred  in  that 
time  than  it  had  gained  in  the  preceding  thirty-five  years. 

In  1808,  another  revival  occurred,  as  a  result  of  which  more 
than  sixty  persons  were  received  into  the  "  two  Presbyterian 
churches"  of  Hartford,  in  the  month  of  June.  The  interest 
continued  into  the  autumn,  and  more  than  one  hundred  and 
twenty  persons  were  then  received  to  these  churches,  besides 
many  who  were  then  (November)  propounded  for  admission. 
There  were  many  who  bitterly  deprecated  the  new  practice  of 
holding  evening  meetings  !  In  1808,  thirty-seven  persons 
were  admitted  to  this  church,  and  in  1809,  twenty-nine  were 
received,  on  profession  of  faith. w  Among  the  admissions  in 
1808,  stands  the  honored  name  of  Thomas  Tileston,  after- 
wards Deacon,  than  whom  no  man  of  his  generation  obtained 
a  more  goodly  report.  His  memory  is  still  sweet  and  pre- 
cious, like  that  of  Dea.  J.  Hubbard  Wells  who  came  after 
him. 

In  1814  the  church  took  measures  for  building  a  chapel  in 
which  to  hold  religious  meetings,  and  two  years  later  the 
chapel  was  finished  and  occupied.  It  stood  "on  the  north 
side  of  (old)  Buckingham  St.,"  at  some  distance  westward 
from  the  meeting-house. 

The  year  1818  marks  the  birth-time  of  the  Sunday  School 
in  Hartford.  There  were  at  that  time  only  four  churches  in 
the  city  ;  the  First  and  Second  Congregational,  Christ  Church, 
and  the  First  Baptist. 

On  the  20th  of  April  a  meeting  was  called  to  consider  the 
propriety  of  establishing  a  Sunday  School.  Rev.  Abel  Flint 
was  chosen  chairman,  and  Seth  Terry,  Esq.,  clerk.1  It  was 
unanimously  resolved  by  the  gentlemen  present,  that  meas- 
ures should  be  taken  to  establish  a  Sunday  School  in  Hartford. 
At  a  subsequent  meeting,  on  the  5th  of  May,  "  The  Hartford 


"  Three  of  those  who  joined  the  church  at  this  time,  the  present  pastor  has 
buried.     One  man  who  joined  in  1808,  is  still  living, — Mr.  Levi  Stillman. 
1  Statistics  of  Hartford  S.  S.  Soc.     Z.  Preston,  Hartford. 


55 

Sunday  School  Society"  was  organized,  whose  officers  were 
to  be  a  President,  Vice  President,  Secretary,  Treasurer,  and 
nine  Directors,  who  were  to  constitute  a  "  Board  of  Managers." 
Rev.  Mr.  Flint  was  chosen  President,  Mr.  Seth  Terry,  Clerk, 
and  among  the  Directors  were  Rev.  Elisha  Cushraan,  James 
M.  Goodwin,  and  Rev.  Joel  Hawes,  who  on  the  3d  of  March 
had  been  settled  in  the  First  Church. 

Four  different  schools  were  formed,  which  were  to  meet  at 
nine  o'clock  A.  M.,  and  at  half  past  one  o'clock  P.  M.,  of  each 
Sabbath.  Mr.  Elijah  Knox  was  appointed  Superintendent 
of  the  school  at  the  South  Church,  and  eight  teachers  were 
chosen  for  it.  Thomas  Tileston  and  Horace  Goodwin  were 
appointed  its  visitors.  Committees  were  selected  to  visit 
families  and  influence  them  to  send  their  children.  About 
five  hundred  scholars  were  gathered  in  these  four  schools  the 
first  summer.  The  sessions  were  discontinued  during  the 
winter,  but  were  re-commenced  in  April  of  1819,  when  an 
annual  meeting  was  held  at  which  Mr.  Flint  delivered  an  ad- 
dress. The  Sunday  Schools  were  managed  by  this  Union 
Sunday  School  Society  until  the  autumn  of  1820,  when  it  was 
deemed  best  for  the  future,  that  each  parish  should  manage 
its  own  school,  and  the  Society  ceased  its  operations.  A.bou1 
this  time  a  great  revival  visited  this  entire  region.  The  in- 
terest seems  to  have  been  almost  simultaneous  over  this  whole, 
district  of  country.  >'  Nineteen  out  of  the  twenty  churches  in 
the  North  Consociation  of  Hartford  County  were  refreshed. 
More  than  one  thousand  souls  were  added  to  the  churches, 
besides  hundreds  who  were  hopefully  converted.  In  Unit  ford 
the  interest  was  especially  remarkable.  The  whole  city  was 
shaken.  Fourteen  persons  were  received  in  this  church  in 
L820,  and  in  1821  fifty-three  were  received. 

In  1820  the  First  Methodisl  Episcopal  Church  in  this  city 
was  organized,  and  a  house  of  worship  \\;i-  erected  on  Trum- 
bull street. 

A  great  excitement  was  created  in  the  parish  during  tin- 
year  1-S22,  by  an  attempt  which  was  made  by  ;i  set  of  free- 
thinkers in    the    Society,  to    get     control    of  the    fumU    Of  the 


( ihristian  Spectator,  Vol.  ■'! :  551. 


56 

Society  and,  in  fact,  to  put  the  whole  church  establishment  in 
the  hands  of  the  Universalists.  The  Society's  Committee 
were  active  in  this  discreditable  but  abortive  scheme.  Mr. 
Flint  was  now  in  delicate  and  declining  health.  By  being 
violently  thrown  from  a  wagon,  he  had  received  a  shock 
thai  affected  his  mind  somewhat,  as  well  as  his  health,  and  he 
was  thenceforth  inadequate  to  the  full  discharge  of  his  minis- 
terial duties.     The  following  letter  explains  itself. 

"  Hartford,  27th  May,  1822. 
Rev.  Doct.  Flint, 

Sir  : — As  Committee  of  the  Second  Ecclesiastical  Society, 
we  would  respectfully  represent  that  a  large  proportion  of  the 
members  of  said  Society,  believing  in  the  universality  of  the 
atonement  and  of  the  final  restitution  of  all  men,  have  ex- 
pressed their  desire  that  a  clergyman  agreeing  with  them  in 
sentiment,  should  be  permitted  to  preach  in  the  meeting-house 
of  the  Society  one-half  of  the  Sabbaths  previous  to  our  next 
annual  meeting.  The  equity  of  this  proposition  may  be  con- 
sidered conclusive,  from  the  consideration,  that  as  they  a  re- 
members of  the  same  Society,  and  subject  to  the  like  burthens 
with  their  other  christian  brethren,  so  also  are  they  entitled 
to  equal  privileges,  and  of  course  have  an  equal  claim  with 
those  who  differ  from  them  in  sentiment,  to  hear  the  Gospel 
preached  according  to  their  understanding  of  the  Scriptures. 
We  are,  respectfully,  Reverend  Sir, 

yours,  &c, 
Signed,        Elisha  Shepherd,  1  ~         ...      „ 
Sylvester  Wells,  }  Committee.  ' 

To  this  Doct.  Flint  replied,  two  days  after,  as  follows ; — 

••  To  the  Committee  of  the  Second  Ecclesiastical  Societv  of 
Hartford  : 

Gentlemen  :— Your  letter  of  the  27th  was  duly  received, 
and  after  mature  reflection  and  consideration,  I  submit  to  you 
the  following  reply. 

According  to  the  established  usages  of  our  country  from  its 
first  settlement  to  the  present  time,  and.  as  far  as  my  infor 


57 

mation  extends,  of  all  other  christian  countries,  it  is  consid- 
ered as  the  right,  the  privilege,  and  the  duty  of  a  minister. 
regularly  ordained  and  installed  in  a  church  and  society,  to 
have  control  of  the  Pulpit  belonging  to  the  Parish  on  the  Sab- 
bath, and  at  such  other  times  as  he  may  have  occasion  to  oc- 
cupy it.  In  exercising  this  right,  however,  and  in  discharg- 
ing this  duty,  he  is  bound  by  certain  restrictions,  a  principal 
one  of  which  ii  that  he  do  not  encourage  what  he  considers 
as  fundamental  errors  to  be  taught  to  the  people  of  which  he 
has  the  charge  ;  and  that  he  do  not  admit,  voluntarily,  into 
the  pulpit,  preachers  who  inculcate  a  system  of  religion  ma- 
terially different  from  that  one  on  which  the  church  and  society 
were  founded.  I  do  not  therefore,  Gentlemen,  consider  my- 
self authorized  to  comply  with  your  proposal,  and  were  I  to 
comply,  I  should  betray  the  trust  committed  to  me  when  1 
took  charge  of  the  Second  Church  and  Society  of  Hartford. 
The  Society  was  incorporated,  I  believe,  in  the  year  1669,and 
at  that  time  and  ever  since,  the  Society,  and  the  Pastor  for 
the  time  being,  have  been  considered  believers  in  the  general 
system  of  doctrines  adopted  by  the  Consociated  Churches  of 
Connecticut.  This  system  of  doctrines  is  fundamentally  dif- 
ferent from  that  which,  in  your  letter,  you  propose  that  1 
should  consent  to  have  taught  for  one-half  of  the  Sabbaths,  in 
the  pulpit  committed  to  my  charge  thirty-one  years  ago  the  lasl 
month.  You  will  therefore  perceive,  Gentlemen,  thai  by  com- 
plying with  your  proposal,  I  should  be  guilty  of  a  gross  viola- 
tion of  my  ordination  vows.  I  should  give  my  sanction  to 
what  I  believe,  to  what  the  church  believes,  and  to  whal  a  re- 
portable portion  of  the  parish  believes  to  be  a  dangerous  error, 
and  1  should  drive  several  hundred  people  from  the  house  where 
they  have  been  accustomed  to  meet  to  worship  God  on  the 
Sabbath,  where,  according  to  the  laws  of  the  country,  the) 
have  a  right  to  meet,  and  from  which  they  cannol  be  debarred, 
except  by  an  exertion  of  arbitrary  power. 

Permit  me  therefore  to  observe  to  you,  Gentlemen,  thai  I. 
and  those  who  act  with  me  in  this  business,  claim  no  righl  to 
dictate  to  others  what  religious  sentiments  they  shall  em- 
brace, and  we  trust  that  we  are   re;iii\   as  much  opposed  to 


58 

religious  persecution  as  those  who  say  so  much  concerning 
love  and  good-will  to  all  men. 

All  that  we  claim  and  all  that  we  ask,  is  to  be  left  to  the 
unmolested  enjoyment  of  our  own  opinions,  and  to  the  oc- 
cupancy of  a  house  of  worship  that  was  built  by  our  fathers 
for  persons  of  our  general  system  of  sentiments,  our  right  to 
which  we  conceive  we  have  not  forfeited.  If  any  members 
who  have  been  members  of  the  Society,  have  materially  altered 
their  sentiments,  we  are  certainly  willing  they  should  enjoy 
their  own  opinions  ;  but  we  believe  they  have  no  right,  how- 
ever numerous  they  may  be,  to  what,  upon  every  just  and 
honest  principle  belongs  to  people  of  a  different  persuasion. 
I  hope,  Gentlemen,  you  will  maturely  consider  what  I  have 
written,  and  if  it  should  not  produce  conviction  in  your  minds 
that  I  am  correct,  I  shall  at  least  have  discharged  my  duty, 
and  I  must  leave  the  event  to  the  wise  disposal  of  that  Provi- 
dence which  controls  all  things. 

Yours,  with  due  consideration, 

Signed,  Abel  Flint, 

Pastor  of  the  Sec.  Church  and  Soc,  Hartford,  May  29,1822." 

But  this  courteous,  firm,  and  perfectly  unanswerable  reply 
stirred  up  a  determination  to  carry  the  point  by  stratagem 
and  force.  A  singular  and  scandalous  scene  occurred  in  the 
South  meeting-house  one  Sunday  evening  in  the  summer  of 
1822.  Taking  advantage  of  the  illness  of  the  Pastor,  it  was 
determined  to  put  Rev.  Mr.  Carrique,  a  Universalist  preach- 
er, into  the  pulpit  on  Sunday  evening.  The  project  was 
noised  abroad,  and  the  church  was  filled  at  an  early  hour. 
The  choir  (in  which  were  several  ladies  who  still  live  with 
us,)  did  what  their  voices  could  to  prevent  the  disgrace. 
They  sang  on,  and  on,  and  on,  tuning  up  afresh  with  good 
orthodox  psalmody  so  often  as  the  reverend  interloper 
seemed  likely  to  get  a  chance  to  speak,  until  they  were 
silenced  by  authority.  One  of  our  oldest  and  most  honorable 
citizens  was  present,  and  on  the  same  evening  wrote  down  an 
account  of  this  affair,  which  reads  as  follows  : — 

"  Rev.  Mr.  Carrique,  a  Universalist  preacher,  came  into  the 
house  before  the  bell  rung,  accompanied  by  Dr.  Wells  and 


59 

Elisha  Shepherd,  and  Mr.  C.  went  into  the  pulpit.  The  house 
was  well  filled.  There  had  been  a  meeting  appointed  by  Dr. 
Flint ;  the  Rev.  Mr.  Smith  had  been  invited  to  preach  by  Dr. 
Flint,  who  was  absent ;  the  choir  had  been  singing  for  some 
time.  Soon  after  the  bell  commenced  ringing  Mr.  Smith  came 
in  and  went  into  the  pulpit.  Dr.  Wells  followed  him  up. 
After  some  whispering  between  Dr.  Wells  and  Mr.  Smith,  he 
got  up  and  stated  to  the  people  that  he  had  come  there  to 
preach,  that  he  was  a  stranger  and  did  not  understand  the 
difficulties  in  the  Society,  but  had  been  requested  by  Dr.  Flint 
to  preach  for  him  in  that  place,  and  he  should  preach  unless 
he  was  forbidden.  He  told  the  committee,  (Dr.  Wells  and 
Mr.  Shepherd,)  that  he  could  preach  in  the  chapel  or  out 
doors,  if  he  could  not  preach  there.  Dr.  Wells  then  arose  in 
the  pulpit  and  said  that  the  Society  ought  to  know  that  the 
time  for  which  the  agreement  was  made  with  Dr.  Flint,  that 
he  might  use  the  house  Sabbath  evening,  ended  in  March; 
that  Dr.  Flint  had  been  informed  on  Saturday  afternoon  that 
a  large  number  of  the  Society  were  desirous  to  hear  Mr.  Car- 
rique  preach,  and  that  Dr.  Flint  had  notified  bis  people  to 
meet  here  when  he  knew  that  Mr.  Carrique  was  to  preach  ! 
Rev.  Mr.  Smith  then  said,  'do  yon  forbid  my  preaching ? ' 
'No,'  said  Dr.  Wells,  'I  did  not  say  so.'  Mr.  Smith  replied, 
'then  I  will  preach,  if  I  am  not  forbidden.'  lie  then  took 
hold  of  the  Bible.  Dr.  Wells  then  said,  'we  expeel  Mr.  Car- 
rique to  preach.'  Mr.  Smith  then  said.  '  I  will  go  to  the  chapel 
and  preach  there,  as  I  cannot  preach  here."  There  was  now 
great  commotion  in  the  house,  ninny  voices  calling  on  Mr. 
Smith  to  preach.  Mr.  Smith  said,  'If  I  am  forbidden  to 
preach  by  the  committee,  I  wish  them  to  say  so.'  Mr.  Shep- 
herd said,  'I  wish  you  would  not  preach,  I  wish  you  would  go 
away.'  The  noise  and  confusion  were  very  much  increased, 
and  Mr.  Smith  soon  lefl  the  house,  the  people  following  him. 
Dr.  Wells  then  called  lor  Squire  Niles,  and  he  came  into  a 
pew  near  the  pulpit.  Dr.  Wells  requested  Mr.  Carrique  to 
begin  the  service.  lie  began  reading  a  Psalm,  and  there  was 
so  much  noise  made  by  the  people  going  <>nt.  that  he  was 
obliged  to  stop.     Dr.  Wells  then,  in  a  loud  voice,  said  that 


60 

religious  services  had  commenced,  and  any  person  who  made 
a  disturbance,  would  be  prosecuted  according  to  law  ;  Squire 
Mies  bad  the  Statute  book,  and,  if  necessary,  would  read  the 
Riot  Act.  Three-fourths  of  the  people  then  went  to  the 
chapel,  headed  by  the  good  old  Deacons  Hempstead  and  Til- 
eston. z 

Thus  ended  the  attempt  of  the  Universalists  and  infidels  to 
obtain  possession  of  the  good  old  South  Church  and  its  fund. 
After  this  the  people  came  out  in  their  strength  and  their 
enemies  were  scattered. 

I  was  present,  and  wrote  the  preceding  account  at  the  time. 

B.  Hudson,  Jr."a 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Society  held  in  the  Meeting  House  on 
the  23d  of  September,  (1822)  the  following  vote  was  submit- 
ted to  the  meeting  by  Dr.  Sylvester  Wells,  viz  :  "Whereas  the 
inhabitants  of  this  society  are  divided  in  their  religious  opin- 
ions, not  only  as  to  matters  of  faith,  but  also  as  to  what  de- 
scription of  preaching  has  the  most  salutary  and  beneficial  ef- 
fect upon  the  community,  &c,  &c.  *  *  *  Wherefore, 
Voted,  That  the  committee  of  said  society  are  hereby  em- 
powered and  directed  to  open  the  meeting  house  of  said  soci- 
ety to  such  minister  or  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  sustaining  a 
fair  moral  character,  to  preach  therein,  as  they  may  think  ex- 
pedient, a  portion  of  the  time  not  exceeding  one-half  of  the 
Sabbaths  from  this  period  to  the  next  annual  meeting  of  the 
society  :  Provided,  that  the  preaching  which  may  be  author- 
ized or  permitted  by  virtue  of  this  vote,  shall  not  subject  said 
society  to  any  expense  or  charge  whatever,  and  provided  fur- 
ther that  when  any  preaching  may  be  authorized  or  permitted 
in  said  house,  on  the  Sabbath,  in  pursuance  of  this  vote,  the 
committee  shall  give  at  least  ten  days  notice  thereof  to  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Flint." 

1  Joshua  Hempstead,  who  had  resigned  his  office  as  Deacon  in  1818. 

:i  Two  other  letters  bearing  on  this  affair,  one  from  the  Committee  of  the  Soci- 
ety to  Mr.  Flint,  and  one  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Carrique  to  Mr.  Flint,  are  in  my 
possession,  but  are  not  of  sufficient  importance  to  warrant  their  introduction  here. 
They  furnish  additional  evidence  of  Dr.  Flint's  faithfulness  and  courage. 

Mr.  Hudson's  account  is  abundantly  confirmed  by  many  persons  who  were  eve- 
witnesses  of  the  disgraceful  scene. 


61 

"  After  a  short  discussion  on  the  above  vote,  the  question 
was  taken,  and  decided  in  the  negative  by  a  large  majority."1' 

In  a  letter  written  by  Mrs.  Ruth  Patten,  (widow  of  Rev. 
Win.  Patten,  and  then  eighty-four  years  old)  dated  "  Hart- 
ford, May  30th,  1823,"  the  following  information  is  com- 
municated:— "Dr.  Flint  has  of  late  been  quite  an  invalid, — 
goes  out  but  little,  appears  dejected  and  unhappy.  About 
sixty  of  his  parishioners  have  signed  off  to  join  the  Universal- 
ists,  who  are  building  a  splendid  church  south  of  the  State 
House.  Many  other  buildings  are  going  up :  much  anima- 
tion expressed  on  every  subject  but  religion." 

In  June,  1823,  the  First  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  Hart- 
ford, (St.  Patrick's)  was  gathered  in  Talcott  St. 

In  the  month  of  November.  Dr.  Flint  requested  to  be  dis- 
missed from  his  pastoral  office.  He  was  accordingly  dis- 
missed by  an  Ecclesiastical  Council,  on  the  13th  of  Jan.  ls2  t. 

Rev.  Abel  Flint  was  born  in  Windham,  August  6th,  L765, 
graduated  at  Yale  in  1785,  was  settled  in  Hartford,  in  April. 
1791,  where  belabored  for  nearly  thirty-three  years.  All  who 
were  members  of  the  church  at  the  time  of  his  dismission,  had 
been  admitted  during  his  ministry,  save  Mr.  Thomas  Sey- 
mour, who  died  in  1820.  There  can  be  no  question  that  the 
ministry  of  Mr.  Flint  was  a  very  Laborious  and  faithful  one. 
He  was  certainly  a  man  of  greal  industry  ami  influence.  He 
wis  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Connecticut  Missionary  Society  . 
and  for  twenty-four  years  was  Secretary  of  its  Hoard  of  Trus- 
tees. He  was  prominent  in  organizing  and  managing  the 
Connecticut  Bible  Society.  Dr.  Strong  and  he.  for  seven 
years  at  least,  were  the  chief  editors  of  the  C cticui  Evan- 
gelical Magazine.  II-  assisted  in  preparing  the  once  famous 
"Hartford  Selection  *'  of  hymns,  which  was extensivel}  used. 
He  was  prominent  in  founding  and  fostering  the  Sunday 
School  Society.  Our  present  [nstitute  Librarj  maj  be  traced 
hack  to  his  primitive,  provision  for  the  wants  of  the  parish  in 
respect  of  reading.  His  published  discourses  are  numerous, 
including  an  election  sermon,  preached  May,  L816,  a  discourse 


b  Urc.  Of   SeC.    ECC.    Sue. 


62 

on  the  death  of  Washington,  and  several  funeral  and  ordina- 
tion sermons.  His  treatise  on  Surveying  is  well  known.  He 
translated  many  of  the  sermons  of  Bourdaloue  and  Massilon. 
He  published  also  "  a  spelling,  pronouncing,  and  parsing  dic- 
tionary, designed  for  the  use  of  schools."  He  was  of  com- 
manding presence  and  dignity,  every  inch  a  gentleman  of 
most  urbane  manners.  As  a  reader  and  speaker  he  was  dis- 
tinguished, and  his  appearance  in  the  pulpit  was  very  impres- 
sive.0 

Previous  to  his  dismission,  he  had  engaged  the  Rev.  Joel 
Harvey  Linsley  to  preach  here  for  several  sabbaths,  and  his 
services  proved  so  acceptable,  that  on  the  21st  of  Jan.,  (only 
eight  days  after  Mr.  Flint's  retirement)  the  society  unanimously 
voted  to  call  him  to  be  their  Pastor,  offering  him  the  use  of 
the  Parsonage  house  and  land,  and  a  salary  of  eight  hundred 
dollars  per  annum.  The  church  immediately  concurred.  Mr. 
Linsley  accepted  the  call,  and  was  ordained  over  this  church 
on  the  25th  of  February,  1825. d  This  same  year  the  North 
Church,  (now  the  Park  church,)  which  had  been  organized  in 
September,  1824,  dedicated  their  meeting  house.  Mrs.  Patten, 
writing  about  this  time  from  Hartford,  says, — "  The  new  Con- 
gregation (North  Church)  appears  like  a  new  married  couple. 
Their  house  is  perfectly  neat,  aisles  carpeted,  no  gallery  ex- 
cept a  small  one  above  the  pulpit  for  singers,  and  just  such  a 
minister  as  they  want.e  I  think  at  the  South  (Church)  they 
have  a  proper  man  for  them.  *  *  Having  gained  consid- 
erable knowledge  of  human  nature,  connected  with  strength 
of  nerves,  he  appears  peculiarly  calculated  for  their  minister. 
Poor  Mr.  F.  !  (Flint)  it  appears  his  life  is  nearly  concluded. 

c  During  the  war  of  1812,  on  a  certain  Lord's  day,  some  soldiers  were  in  the 
gallery  of  the  Second  Church.  When  Dr.  Flint  announced  his  text— "Fear  God, 
honor  the  King,"  one  of  the  soldiers,  who  had  more  patrioiism  than  wisdom, 
arose  in  his  seat  and  startled  the  congregation  by  exclaiming,  "  Fear  God,  honor 
the  President,  sir!"  He  was  removed,  but  the  good  Doctor's  gravity  was  sorely 
tried,  and  on  reaching  home  he  indulged  in  irrepressible  laughter. 

A  daughter  of  Dr.  Flint,  (Mrs.  Norton,)  who  was  permitted  to  be  with  us  at 
our  anniversary,  distinctly  remembers  and  vouches  for  this  story. 

1  Rev.  Prof.  Fitch,  of  New  Haven  preached  the  sermon,  and  Rev.  Joel  Hawes 
gave  the  right  hand  of  fellowship-    » 

■  Rev.  Carlos  Wilcox. 


63 

He  boards  *  *  nearly  opposite  bis  former  dwelling.  We 
must  leave  him  in  the  hands  of'  his  Lord  and  Master." 
Shortly  after,  on  the  Tth  of  March.  ls2~>.  Mr.  Flint  died,  in 
the  family  of  Col.  Elijah  Terry,  in  the  old  wooden  house  next 
north  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  and  his  funeral  sermon  was 
preached  by  Rev.  Dr.  Thos.  Bobbins,  of  East  Windsor.  "His 
character  was  represented  in  a  fair  and  honorable  light." 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  Second  Ecclesiastical  Society  of 
Hartford,  held  January  29th,  1825,  it  was  unanimously  voted 
to  build  a  new  meeting  house,  and  all  the  necessary  measures 
for  carrying  into  execution  this  vote  were  taken.  On  the 
11th  of  April,  1827,  the  new  brick  meeting  house,  within 
whose  walls  we  are  now  assembled,  was  solemnly  dedicated 
to  the  worship  and  service  of  God.  The  dedication  sermon 
was  preached  by  the  Pastor.  Dr.  Spring,  Dr.  Perkins,  and 
Rev.  Joel  Hawes  also  participated  in  the  services. 

In  1828,  (February  2,)  the  church  appointed  a  committee 
to  revise  the  articles  of  faith  and  covenant.  We  have  been 
unable  to  find  the  report  of  this  committee.  It  is  undoubt- 
edly true,  however,  that  at  this  time,  the  original  covenant  of 
the  church  was  set  aside  for  another  longer  and  decidedly  in- 
ferior one.  But  recently  (February,  1870,)  this  church  lias 
voted  to  go  back  to  the  old  covenant,  and  to-day  we  stand  on 
the  original  platform  whereon  Mr.  Whiting  and  his  little  com- 
pany gathered  to  form  this  church,  two  hundred  years  ago. 

In  1830,  the  Pastor's  salary  was  raised  to  the  sum  of  one 
thousand  dollars,  and  the  very  liberal  appropriation  of  two 
hundred  dollars  was  made  lor  music.  The  population  of  the 
town  at  this  time  (including  last  and  West  Hartford,)  was 
nearly  ten  thousand. 

In  1831,  the  church  voted  in  favor  of  the  projecl  of  form- 
ing a  new  church  in  the  city,  and  in  L832,  the  Fourth  Con- 
gregational Church  was  organized. 

Meanwhile  events  had  occurred  which  had  bo  far  weakened 
the  bond  of  unity  between  Mi-.  Lineley  and  :i  portion  of  his 
people,  that  in  the  Spring  of  L832,  he  intimated  his  purpose 


64 

of  asking  a  dismission.  By  a  vote  of  thirty-seven  to  five,  the 
church  requested  him  not  to  do  it.  In  July,  he  sent  a  formal 
requesi  for  dismission  to  the  church,  which  was  not  granted, 
but  afterwards,  as  he  urged  his  request,  a  Council  was  called 
by  whose  action  his  pastoral  relation  was  dissolved  on  the  21st 
of  August,  1832.  Dr.  Linsley's  labors  in  this  church,  though 
not  of  long  continuance,  were  abundantly  fruitful.  His  praise 
was  in  all  the  churches.  He  was  distinguished  for  his  wisdom 
and  efficiency  in  promoting  and  conducting  revivals  of  relig- 
ion. During  the  eight  years  of  his  ministry,  more  than  one 
hundred  and  fifty  persons  were  added  to  this  church  on  pro- 
fession of  faith : — in  18*27,  forty-four  persons,  and  in  1831, 
seventy-six.  Many  of  the  present  active  members  of  the 
church  were  gathered  in  as  fruits  of  the  revival  of  1830. 

Rev.  Joel  Harvey  Linsley,  D.  D.,  than  whom  this  church 
never  had  a  saintlier  minister,  was  born  in  Cornwall,  Vt., 
July  15th,  1790,  and  graduated  at  Middlebury  College  in 
1811.  After  serving  two  years  as  Tutor  in  the  College,  he 
resumed  his  previous  law  studies,  and  in  1815  was  admitted 
to  the  bar.  He  pursued  the  practice  of  the  law  for  seven 
years  in  Middlebury,  when  he  felt  constrained  to  abandon  his 
profession  for  that  of  the  ministry.  After  several  months  of 
missionary  labor  in  South  Carolina,  he  was  settled  in  Hart- 
ford, in  1823,  and  remained  here  until  August,  1832.  In 
1832  he  was  settled  over  the  Park  Street  Church  in  Boston, 
and  in  1835  became  President  of  Marietta  College,  Ohio.  In 
1846  he  became  Pastor  of  the  church  in  Greenwich,  Conn., 
and  labored  there  to  the  end  of  his  life.  He  fell  asleep  on 
Sabbath  morning,  March  22d,  1868.  He  was  "  a  good  man, 
and  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ;" — pure,  guileless,  earnest,  and 
devoted.  Mourning  that  he  was  not  permitted  to  grace  this 
anniversary  with  his  venerable  presence,  we,  as  a  church, 
bless  God  to-day  for  his  faithful,  fruitful  labors  here,  and 
gratefully  cherish  his  precious  and  holy  memory.*" 


'"  "  The  Rev.  Mr.  Parker,  in  his  excellent  address,  properly  commended  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Linsley,  formerly  of  the  South  Church,  for  his  saintliness  and  efficiency  as  a 
minister  of  Christ,  but  omitted  to  mention  the  fervent  piety  and  abundant  labors 
of  Mrs.  Linsley.  She  was  truly  a  help-meet  for  him,  and  was  one  of  the  best 
specimens  of  a  good  pastor's  wife  that  Connecticut  ever  furnished.    She  did  almost 


65 

On  the  25th  of  Nov.,  1832,  the  Church  voted  to  extend  a 
call  to  Rev.  Cornelius  C.  Vanarsdalen,  of  Brunswick,  X.  J.r 
to  become  their  Pastor.  The  Society  concurred,  ami  offered 
him  a  salary  of  twelve  hundred  dollars.  Mr.  Vanarsdalen  ac- 
cepted the  call,  and  was  installed  here  on  the  27th  of  Dec, 
1832.  Rev.  Joel  Hawes  preached  the  installation  sermon,  which 
was  published.  After  an  uneventful  ministry  of  about  four 
years,  Mr.  Vanarsdalen  was,  at  his  own  request,  dismissed 
from  his  pastoral  relation,  March  22d,  1836. 

In  the  month  of  May,  1836,  the  Rev.  Wm.  Patton,  of  New 
York,  was  unanimously  and  repeatedly  invited  to  settle  here, 
but  his  services  were  not  secured. 

In  Feb.,  1837,  the  Rev.  0.  E.  Daggett  was  unanimously  in- 
vited to  become  the  Pastor  of  this  church,?  and  the  sum  of 
twelve  hundred  dollars  annually  was  offered  him  as  a  salary. 
The  call  was  accepted,  with  the  understanding  that  the  pulpit 
should  be  supplied  by  the  Society  five  weeks  in  each  jrear, 
should  the  Pastor  desire  it.  Mr.  Daggett  was  ordained  ami 
settled  here,  April  12th,  1837.  An  examination  of  the  church 
catalogue  suffices  to  show  that  the  years  of  his  ministry  in  this 
church  were  years  of  great  in-gatherings  to  the  fold  of  Christ. 

The  memorable  revival  of  1838  occurred  meanwhile.  "It 
came- upon  the  churches  like  a  gradual,  mighty  wave,  not  un- 
desired  or  unsought,  but  unexpected,  till  it  lifted  us  all  and 
bore  us  up  for  some  five  months."  None  was  ever  more  gen- 
eral ami  powerful  in  Hartford.  That  year  this  church  received 
one  hundred  and  fifty  persons  on  profession  of  faith,  fifty- 
four  of  these  were  males.  At  the  communion  in  the  month 
of  May,  one  hundred  and  ten  persons  joined  the  church  by 
profession.  There  were  also  other,  less  remarkable,  seasons 
of  religious  interest.  In  1H41 ,  thirty  were  received  by  pro- 
fession of  faith,  and  at  the  communion  in  May,  1843,  fifteen 

as  much  for  the  Lord  as  her  devoted  husband,  and  her  memory  i  embalmed  in  the 
hearts  of  a  large  number  of  our  citizens."     Rev.   Dr.   Brace,  in  the   Religious 
Herald.   Rev.  Charles  E.  Linsley,  a  son  of  the  former  Pastor  of  this  chun 
with  us  in  our  anniversary,  an  honored  guest. 

s  Mr.  Daggett  began  to  preach  lure  in  June  1836,  as  a  supply,  and  continued 
his  services  until  hia  ordination,  so  that  his  actual  ministry  here  «a>  longer  by  on< 
year  than  his  pastorate  proper. 

5 


66 

were  received.  In  the  years  between  Mr.  Daggett's  ordina- 
tion and  dismission,  the  whole  number  added  to  the  church 
was  three  hundred  and  seven,  of  whom  one  hundred  and  four- 
teen were  males;  and  the  clear  gain  in  numbers,  over  all  re- 
movals, was  one  hundred  and  fifty-seven. 

Previous  to  the  year  1838,  the  only  lecture  room  was  the 
western  part  of  the  basement  of  the  church.  After  the  great 
revival,  another  "church-room"  was  neatly  prepared  and  fit- 
ted up,  just  over  the  vestibule  of  the  church,  and  directly  in 
the  rear  of  the  choir  gallery.  It  is  difficult  for  us  of  to-day 
to  comprehend  how  the  unusually  fruitful  ministries  of  two 
such  pastors  as  Dr.  Linsley  and  Dr.  Daggett,  should  have 
been  so  brief.  But  it  is  certain  that  in  those  days  there  was 
"an  unhallowed  leaven"  in  this  society.  A  disagreeable  if 
not  evil  spirit  of  discontent  and  faction  was  continually  mak- 
ing mischief,  and  bringing  discredit  upon  what,  on  the  whole, 
was  a  living  and  faithful  church.  There  was  less  growth  in 
this  district,  at  that  time  and  for  years  after,  than  in  any  other 
part  of  the  city.  It  languished  in  that  kind  of  torpor  and 
backwardness  that  always  bring  forth  thorns  and  thistles. 
Then,  as  now,  and  ever,  it  was  possible  for  a  few  unreasonable 
and  restless  people,  to  bring  to  nought  the  desires  and  devices 
of  a  great  majority  of  sensible  and  earnest  Christians. 

In  the  summer  of  1842,  Mr.  Daggett  asked  to  be  dismissed. 
As  the  church  by  an  overwhelming  majority  declined  to  grant 
his  request,  he  stood  in  his  place  another  year,  when,  as  he 
insisted  on  a  dismission,  a  Council  was  called,  by  whose  ac- 
tion his  pastoral  relation  was  dissolved,  June  23d,  1843. 

Rev.  0.  E.  Daggett  was  born  in  New  Haven,  Jan.  14th. 
1810,  graduated  at  Yale  College  in  1828,  was  ordained  and 
installed  in  Hartford  April  12th,  1837,  was  installed  in  the 
First  Congregational  Church  in  Canandaigua,  X.  Y.,  Jan. 
30th,  1845,  and  in  Yale  College  Church,  Oct.  31st,  L867, 
where  he  still  labors. 

In  Oct.,  1843,  Rev.  Joseph  H.  Towne,  of  Boston,  was  called 
to  the  pastorate  of  this  church,  but  without  success. 


67 

In  Nov.,  1844,  special  endeavors  were  made  to  induce  Rev. 
Adam  Reid,  of  Salisbury,  Conn.,  to  settle  here,  bul  they  were 

unsuccessful. 

In  April,  1845,  Rev.  Walter  Clarke  received  an  invitation 
to  become  the  Pastor  of  this  church.  The  call  was  accepted, 
and  Mr.  Clarke  was  installed,  June  4th,  1845.  Rev.  Edward 
W.  Hooker,  of  East  Windsor,  preached  the  installation  ser- 
mon. Dr.  Hawes  made  the  installing  prayer,  Dr.  Porter  gave 
the  charge  to  the  Pastor,  and  Dr.  Bushnell  the  right  hand 
of  fellowship. 

In  the  spring  of  1847,  measures  were  taken  to  build  a  new 
Lecture-room.  The  chapel  was  dedicated  on  the  evening  of 
Sept.  14th.  In  the  year  1853,  extensive  alterations  and  re- 
pairs of  the  church  edifice  were  made,  by  which  the  audience 
room  was  considerably  enlarged  and  improved,  and  put  into 
substantially  its  present  form  and  arrangement,  although  since 
that  time,  the  building  has  been  thoroughly  renewed  in  its 
appearance  both  internally  and  externally. 

Early  in  1859,  Mr.  Clarke  asked  to  be  dismissed  from  his 
pastoral  relation.  His  requesl  was  granted,  and  bytheaction 
of  an  Ecclesiastical  Council,  held  in  Hartford  Jan.  28th,  L859 
his  dismission  was  declared,  to  take  effect  on  the  31si  of  Jan. 
Under  his  ministry  of  almosl  fourteen  years,  greal  changes 
occurred  in  this  city.  Tins  South  District  began  tosbxwi  signs  of 
unwonted  growth  and  enterprise.  In  L840  the  population  of 
Hartford  (including  East  and  Wesl  Hartford.)  was  about  thir- 
teen thousand.  In  I860,  the  population  of  Hartford  alone 
was  nearly  thirty  thousand.  There  were  several  seasons  of 
unusual  religious  interesl  during  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Clarke. 
In  1852,  fifty-five  persons  were  received  to  the  church  on  pro- 
fession of  faith.  Jn  the  year  L858,  sixty-three  were  ad- 
mitted. 

Rev.  Walter  Clarke,  I).  I).,  was  horn  in  Middletown,  Conn., 

April  5th,  lsl_'.  was  settled  over  the   church   in  Canterbury, 


68 

Coiin.,  in  May,  1841 ;  was  installed  as  Pastor  in  this  church, 
June  4th,  1845;  in  Mercer  St.  church  in  New  York  city,  Fcb- 
liuuv,  1859,  and  in  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  in  Buffalo, 
February,  1861.  He  is  personally  known  to  most,  if  not  all 
the  members  of  this  congregation,  and  it  is  a  chief  matter  of 
regret  with  us  to-day,  that  we  are  deprived  of  his  presence  on 
this  occasion. 

In  May,  1859,  Mr.  Charles  D.  Helmer  was  invited  to  be- 
come the  Pastor  of  this  church,  but  declined  the  invitation, 
as  he  had  previously  declined  a  similar  invitation  from  the 
North  Church. 

In  October  of  the  same  year  the  present  Pastor  received 
and  accepted  a  call  to  settle  here,  but  did  not  begin  his  labors 
until  the  new  year.  He  was  ordained  and  installed  on  the 
evening  of  Jan.  11th,  1860,  Drs.  Hawes,  Clarke,  Spring,  and 
Harris,  and  Rev.  Messrs.  Burton,  Webber,  and  Drummond  of 
►Springfield,  participating  in  the  services.  Concerning  him 
and  his  ministry  in  this  church,  another  may,  in  due  time,  write. 
He  counts  it  only  too  high  an  honor  that  he  is  permitted  to 
stand  in  the  line  of  so  long  and  noble  a  succession  of  minis- 
ters as  have,  from  the  first,  served  God  in  this  church,  and, 
on  this  occasion,  to  bring  into  review  and  grateful  celebration 
the  names,  and  virtues,  and  labors  of  his  godly  predecessors. 


The  duty  of  writing  the  history  of  this  ancient  church  was 
so  clearly  laid  upon  me  by  Providence,  that  not  even  the  pain- 
ful consciousness  of  unfitness  could  justify  me  in  declining  it. 
Whatever  may  be  the  degree  of  my  success,  1  have  certainly 
done  my  best,  not  to  be  interesting  or  entertaining  on  this  oc- 
casion, but  to  search  out  and  gather  up  whatever  facts  might 
serve  my  single  purpose,  into  a  plain  and  orderly  narrative 
that  should  have,  at  least,  the  merit  of  thoroughness  and  ac- 
curacy, and  so  be,  perchance,  of  some  permanent  value  for 
the  people  of  this  parish. 

One  who  comes  across  the  continent  from  California  by  rail- 
road, may  not  presume  to  give  a  comprehensive  report  of  the 


69 

diverse  regions  through  which  his  narrow  belt  of  travel  runs. 
So,  having  followed  one  particular  and  narrow  line  of  investi- 
gation, we  have  completed  our  journey  over  these  tracts  of 
time,  two  hundred  years  in  breadth.  Stopping  here  and  there 
on  the  route  for  a  moment  only,  and  ever  hurrying  forward 
with  all  speed,  as  must  needs  be,  only  a  scanty  report,  based 
on  a  very  limited  range  of  observation,  can  be  made  of  the 
old-time  country  in  general.  That  land  of  "The  Long-Ago" 
is  a  pleasant  land  in  which  to  sojourn  for  awhile.  In  its  twi- 
light solitudes  all  is  still,  and  quiet,  and  restful,  and  a  grateful 
sense  of  sacredness  and  mystery  is  shed  abroad.  All  things 
are  simple,  quaint,  and  natural  there.  The  ground  is  holy, 
for  there  are  the  living  roots  of  all  the  wide-spreading  pros- 
perity of  the  present  age,  there  are  the  graves  of  those  holy 
and  heroic  men  and  women,  by  whose  weary  toils,  and  sacri- 
fices, and  sufferings,  were  sown  in  tears  the  precious  seeds  of 
all  the  wide-waving  and  golden  harvest  we  are  reaping  with 
songs. 

A  kind  of  sweet  converse  have  I  had  with  the  good  and  rev 
erend  men  I  have  met  in  these  old  ways.  From  many  a  dim 
and  quaintly  written  page  they  have  smiled  upon  me.  and  I 
have  learned  a  new  honor  for  the  fathers  and  forefathers.  Hut 
be  sure  of  this  !  The  promised  land  has  not  been  reached  as 
yet !  The  Golden  Age  is  yet  to  arrive  !  Coming  down  from 
the  year  1670 to  the  present  time, at  every  station  on  the  road, 
there  are  to  be  seen  new  signs  and  splendid  prophecies  of 
progress.  The  unnatural,  perhaps  then  inevitable  union  of 
church  and  state  which  was  the  source  of  most  of  the  woes 
that  afflicted  the  early  colonial  churches,  ha-  Ion--  since  been 
sundered.  What  hard,  and  narrow,  and  poor  conditions  of  life 
were  suffered  then  !  What  privations,  exposures,  and  igno- 
rance abounded !  Under  the  outward  semblance  of  a  com- 
pulsory religion,  whal  sly  and  serious  hypocrisies !  I  uder  a 
pernicious  system  of  severe  restraints,  what  mischievous  ec- 
centricities and  abnormal  types  of  character  were  developed! 
The  people  of  those  former  days  had  their  lull  share  of  Btrife, 

and  vice,  and  sin,  and  suffering.    The"g I  old  times  '  were, 

after  all,  comparatively  dark,  dismal,  undesirable  tun.-.    No! 


70 

only  do  we  live  in  the  midst  of  material  comforts  that  make 
our  world  a  new  world  and  our  life  therein  a  new  life,  but  we 
are  in  the  enjoyment  of  an  intellectual  light,  of  a  social  wel- 
fare,and  of  a  civil  and  spiritual  freedom,  of  which  the  ancients 
never  dreamed.  As  well  as  they  we  know  what  true  religion 
is,  and  a  thousand  times  better  than  they  we  know  what  it  is 
not .'  Let  us  thank  God  and  take  courage.  The  fact  of  a 
church  that  is  two  hundred  years  old,  that  dates  almost  from 
the  first  settlement  of  a  wilderness,  representing  at  first  the 
faith  and  hope  of  a  feeble  company  of  colonists,  but  living  on 
from  age  to  age  as  a  continuous  power  for  good,  gradually 
gathering  into  its  fold  and  embracing  with  its  ministrations 
of  mercy  and  comfort  generation  after  generation,  and  amid 
all  vicissitudes,  still  uplifting  its  holy  psalms  whose  echoes 
float  on  in  the  past  forever,  touches  both  our  imagination  and 
veneration.  Here  is  the  consciousness  of  an  organic  life 
through  which  the  spiritual  and  moral  forces  of  the  distant 
past  act  upon  us  and  quicken  us.  Here  dwell  the  subtle  in- 
spirations of  holy  memories  and  associations.  Hence  "the 
repose  of  history"  is  shed  upon  our  present  life.  Amid  all 
the  revolutions  and  changes  of  two  centuries,  this  church  has 
stood  unshaken,  where  its  founders  placed  it,  upon  the  broad 
and  sure  "foundation  of  the  prophets  and  apostles,  Jesus 
Christ  himself  being  the  chief  corner-stone."  "Without  inter- 
ruption the  worship  of  God  has  been  maintained,  the  old 
gospel  of  the  cross  preached,  and  the  ordinances  of  the  church 
administered  in  her  sanctuaries.  Pious  hands  have  guarded 
and  kept  burning  night  and  day  the  holy  fire  that,  two  hund- 
red years  ago,  was  kindled  upon  her  altar.  Dear,  ancient 
Church  !  thou  art  compassed  about  with  a  great  cloud  of  wit- 
nesses !  God  bless  thee  forever !  Till  the  Son  of  Man  shall 
come  again  in  glory  mayest  thou  stand  secure  on  the  old 
foundations,  and  thy  light  still  shine  more  and  more  !  We 
pray  for  thy  peace,  0  our  Jerusalem  ! 

"  Peace  be  within  thy  walls !  prosperity  within  thy  palaces ! 
For  ray  brethren  and  companions'  sakes  I  will  now  say, 
Peace  be  within  thee  I" 


FESTIVAL  EXERCISES. 


Tuesday  evening  had  been  set  apart  for  social  entertain- 
ment, and  invitations  had  been  given  to  all  past  and  presenl 
members  of  the  parish,  and  to  guests  from  abroad,  to  be 
present.  A  bountiful  collation  was  spread  in  the  parlors  of  the 
church,  and  a  score  or  two  of  the  young  ladies  of  the  Society, 
dressed  in  the  garments  of  their  grandmothers,  waited  upon 
the  table  and  served  the  throng  of  people  with  a  liberality 
worthy  of  the  good  dames  whose  mantles  they  wore.  In  the 
upper  room  of  the  chapel  an  old-fashioned  dinner  table  was 
spread,  and  the  curiosities  there  displayed  attracted  universal 
attention  and  interest.  There  were  vegetables  of  all  kinds, 
gigantic  doughnuts,  pork  and  beans  in  a  greal  iron  pot,  johnny 
cake  baked  in  the  "old  testament  "  way,  vasl  expanses  of  deep, 
rich  pumpkin  pie,  immense  Loaves  of  rye-bread,  and  many 
other  old  time  articles  of  diet.  The  utensils  on  the  table  were 
in  keeping  with  the  feast.  There  was  the  greal  pewter  plat- 
ter brought  over  by  Theophilus  Eaton,  fust  Governor  of  New 
Haven  colony, — a  platter  which  puts  to  shame  all  modern 
Crockery.      Then;  were    pewter    mugs    and    teapots,  and   some 

china  ware  two  centuries  old,  candlesticks,  spectacles,  and 
inkstands,  while  hard  by  stood  old  spinning  wheels,  andirons, 
&c,  &c.  There  was  a  large  old  family  Bible  of  VfDCLX  . 
the  last  part  of  the  date  having  been  torn  away.  This  Bible 
is  in  the  possession  of  Mrs.  Julius  Gilman,  having  been  given 


72 

to  her  by  Mrs.  Fanny  Stedman,  lately  deceased.  Mrs.  Sted- 
man was  in  the  line  of  descent  from  Gov.  Webster.  This 
old  Bible  has  been  in  the  hands  of  the  Webster  family  for 
over  two  hundred  years.  It  is  an  interesting  relic,  and  con- 
tains a  curious  map  of  the  world.  Several  of  the  family  have 
been  sailors,  and  the  old  Bible  has  safely  made  several 
voyages. 

Later  in  the  evening  the  people  gathered  in  the  church,  and 
after  spending  some  time  in  the  interchange  of  social  greet- 
ings and  congratulations,  and  in  admiring  the  beautiful  deco- 
rations, they  took  seats,  and,  led  by  the  Pastor,  enjoyed  a  de- 
lightful  hour  of  singing.  This  was  one  of  the  unpremeditated 
but  pleasantest  parts  of  the  whole  celebration.  Old  and  young- 
sat  down  together  in  the  freest  possible  way,  and  lifted  up  the 
songs  of  the  church  with  an  unction  that  is  rare  indeed.  The 
spirit  of  God  seemed  to  be  sweetly  present,  and  many  hearts 
were  moved  and  many  eyes  were  moistened.  About  ten 
o'clock  the  people  quietly  dispersed,  and  the  gathering  so  free, 
and  delightful,  and  memorable  in  all  respects,  was  ended. 

It  is  not  possible  to  describe  such  scenes,  over  which  a  deli- 
cate and  indescribable  charm  hovers  and  floats,  and  the  power 
of  which  every  heart  confesses.  We  felt  ourselves  encompassed 
by  a  great  cloud  of  witnesses,  we  breathed  in  an  atmosphere  of 
love,  and  our  songs  seemed  to  come  back  to  us  in  sweet  re- 
sponses from  the  world  of  long  ago  and  from  the  world  above. 
The  home  and  family  feeling  was  perfect  and  complete.  Many 
former  members  of  the  church  and  parish  were  present,  some 
of  them  aged  men  and  women,  and  to  them  especially  the 
house  of  God  was  as  the  gate  of  heaven. 

On  Wednesday  morning,  at  9|  o'clock,  a  prayer  meeting  of 
great  interest  was  held  in  the  Sunday  School  room,  which  was 
conducted  by  the  Rev.  T.  L.  Shipman  of  Jewett  city,  who 
formerly  preached  some  months  in  the  old  South  Meeting 
House.  At  half  past  ten  o'clock  an  immense  audience  filled 
every  nook  and  corner  of  the  church  edifice,  to  attend  the 
re-union  service.  One  of  the  chief  attractions  of  this  service 
was  an  old-fashioned  orchestra  of  violins,  bass  viols,  flutes, 
clarionetts,  &c.,  &c,  which  had  been  gathered  to  lead  a  large 


73 

chorus  in  singing  the  old  tunes  of  long  ago.  The  whole  choir 
was  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Irving  Emerson,  the  organist 
of  the  church,  who  succeeded  admirably  in  carrying  out  the 
ideas  of  the  Pastor. 

His  Excellency,  Marshall  Jewell,  the  Governor  of  the  State, 
and  a  member  of  this  church,  was  expected  to  preside  at  Ibis 
meeting,  but  at  a  late  hour  a  telegram  from  New  Haven  an- 
nounced his  unavoidable  detention  there  and  his  regrets.  The 
Pastor  conducted  the  exercises,  and  called  upon  the  Rev.  A.  C. 
Adams  of  Wethersfield  to  offer  prayer.  Old  "  Invitation"  was 
then  sung : — 

"  Come,  my  beloved,  haste  away, 
Cut  short  the  hours  of  thy  delay,  &c." 

After  making  a  brief  address,  Mr.  Parker  read  from  the 
church  records  to  the  effect  that  in  1825,  Joseph  Webster  was 
appointed  delegate  from  this  church  to  attend  a  Council  in 
New  Haven,  called  to  examine  and  install  the  Rev.  Leonard 
Bacon,  and  then  introduced  Dr.  Bacon  to  the  audience. 

Dr.  Bacon's  Remarks.* 

As  I  saw,  last  evening,  those  who  wore  what  they  consider- 
ed to  be  obsolete  styles  of  dress.  I  was  touched  with  a  feeling 
which  made  me  realize  how  Long  it  is  since  I  was  young.  It 
seemed  to  me  that  I  did  not  observe  one  costume  that  went 
back  of  my  remembrance.  Even  the  gentleman  who  wore 
the  long-tailed  coat  seemed  like  an  old  acquaintance,  lor  I 
remember  well  when  young  men  came  home  from  college  with 
the  long  and  narrow  skirts  of  their  coats  hanging  down  be- 
hind them  to  the  calves  of  their  legs.  The  old-time  costumes 
of  those  ladies,  too.  who  thought  they  were  arrayed  in  almosl 

antediluvian  fashions,  seemed  fresh  as  well  as  familiar.  In  a 
word,  I  was  mad*;  to  feel  thai    my  personal  recollections  run 


*  The  report  herein  given  of  this  speech,  and  of  th  thai  folio 

not  profess  to  give  much  more  than  the  substance  of  whal  was   said  bj  the  di  - 
tinguished  gentlemen  in  their  unwritten  bul  eloquent  remarks.     Thej  are  • 
but  not  fully  reported. 


74 

back  to  times  which  are  now  commonly  considered  quite  re- 
mote. As  I  listened  to  the  historical  address  yesterday,  the 
greater  part  of  that  story  of  two  hundred  years  seemed  like  a 
I  lid  are  of  events  and  times  which  I  remember  as  a  part  of 
my  own  life.  To  my  thought  the  period  over  which  my  per- 
sonal memory  ranges,  has  more  of  the  world's  progress  in  it, 
more  true  advancement  of  that  kingdom  which  is  not  of  this 
world  but  which  is  to  subdue  the  world,  than  all  the  years 
that  lie  behind  it  since  the  year  of  our  Lord  1670. 

It  lacks  five  months  of  fifty-eight  years  since  my  first  re- 
membered view  of  Hartford, — then  a  beautiful  village  that 
proudly  called  itself  a  city.  The  State  House,  the  Bank,  and 
the  North  Meeting  House  (now  called  the  Center  Church), 
and  here  and  there  a  venerable  mansion,  now  long  ago  trans- 
ferred to  strangers,  are  almost  all  that  remains  of  the  Hart- 
ford that  I  then  saw  with  rustic  admiration.  So  long  ago  I 
remember  the  South  Meeting  House,  standing,  according  to 
an  old  Connecticut  fashion,  in  the  middle  of  the  street  at  the 
intersection  of  two  roads,  and  closely  resembling,  within  and 
without,  any  ordinary  wooden  meeting  house  built  in  the  last 
century. 

Not  to  weary  you  with  merely  personal  recollections,  I  will 
venture  to  give  out  one  thought  connected  with  the  Historical 
Discourse  of  yesterday,  and  illustrated  by  all  the  progress  of 
the  Congregational  Churches  in  Connecticut,  through  conflicts 
and  controversies,  through  storms  and  calms,  and  through  the 
ebbs  and  flows  of  doctrine  and  of  discipline.  My  thought  is 
this : — Our  Congregational  churches,  with  all  the  mutual  in- 
dependency inherent  in  their  organization,  are  one  in  the 
unity  of  their  spiritual  life,  and  in  their  strong  tendency  to 
fraternal  intercommunion.  With  no  external  bond  that  may 
not  be  sundered  in  a  moment,  they  are  one  ecclesiastical  com- 
monwealth through  all  the  vicissitudes  of  their  history.  When 
Boston  was  not  yet  seven  years  old,  and  Hartford  had  hardly 
received  its  name,  New  England  came  near  to  being  wrecked 
in  a  theological  controversy  on  certain  transcendental  ques- 
tions growing  out  of  John  Cotton's  sublimated  Calvinism, — 
a  controversy  in  which  a  strong  minded  woman  was  the  chief 


75 

agitator,  and  in  which  therefore,  though  the  question  of  woman 
suffrage  was  not  raised,  there  was  some  foreshadowing  of 
woman's  rights.  So  sharp  was  the  contention,  that  New  Eng- 
land seemed  on  the  verge  of  ruin  ;  but,  under  the  providence 
of  God,  our  infant  churches  and  our  infant  commonwealths 
were  rescued  from  that  peril,  partly  at  least,  by  the  Pequot  war. 
suddenly  bringing  them  down  from  their  "  battle  above  the 
clouds"  in  the  dimmest  heights  of  theological  speculation,  to 
rough  contact  with  the  realities  and  duties  of  this  "sublunar 
sphere."  The  controversy  in  which  this  Second  Church  in 
Hartford  originated  was  of  a  different  sort,  ecclesiastical  rather 
than  theological, — a  controversy  incidental  to  the  develop- 
ment of  the  Congregational  church-polity,  and  to  the  adjust- 
ment of  the  relations  between  ecclesiastical  order  and  the  civil 
commonwealth.  The  troubles  in  the  Hartford  church,  and 
the  endeavors  to  suppress  them,  became  the  occasion  of  bring- 
ing out  into  discussion  and  controversy  throughout  New  Eng- 
land, some  serious  questions  on  which  comparatively  latenl 
diversities  of  opinion  had  existed  from  the  beginning. 

The  story  of  those  troubles  so  well  narrated  yesterday,  il- 
lustrates one  characteristic  by  which  Connecticut  was  distin- 
guished from  the  New  Haven  Colony.  In  Connecticut,  the 
civil  government  was  continually  meddling  with  the  churches. 
while  in  theNew  Haven  Colony  there  was  another  arrangement. 
Old  John  Davenport  had  taken  care,  in  the  institutions  which 
he  founded,  that  there  should  be  no  chance  for  the  State  to 
govern  the  Church  ;  and  when  the  ureal  hope  of  his  life  had 
failed,  and  his  little  commonwealth  had  been  absorbed  by 
Connecticut,  he  said  in  his  grief,  thai  k-  in  New  Eaven  Colony, 
Christ's  interest  was  miserably  lost."  Be  sav  thai  the  con- 
stant intermeddling  of  the  State  with  church  affairs,  foreto- 
kened the  coming  in  of  a  system  which  he  distinguished  from 
strict  and  simple  Congregationalism,  by  calling  it  the  "  parish 
way." 

He  had  semi  that  parish  way  in  Eolland  as  well  as  in  his 
native  country,  and  he  greatlj  preferred  the  "  more  excellent 
way,"  in  which  the  New  England  Churches  walked  al  the 
beginning. 


76 

The  fact  is  that  though  all  the  earliest  churches  of  New 
England  were  instituted  on  a  Congregational  platform,  there 
was  already  a  reaction,  caused  by  influences  that  came  from 
Old  England.  Indeed  the  habits  of  thinking  that  tended  to 
such  a  reaction,  came  over  in  the  great  Puritan  migration. 
The  pioneer  Pilgrims,  who  made  their  settlement  at  Plymouth 
two  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  were  not  mere  Puritans,  but 
Separatists.  They  had  long  before  renounced  the  institution 
called  the  Church  of  England.  They  recognized  no  church 
organization  superior  to  the  free  congregation  of  believing 
worshipers.  The  idea  of  a  national  church  co-extensive  with 
the  jurisdiction  of  a  nation,  and  having  either  Pope  or  King, 
or  even  a  General  Assembly,  was  preposterous  in  their  view, 
and  was  repudiated  as  the  very  body  and  soul  of  anti-Christ. 
But  when  the  great  migration  came  over  which  founded  Bos- 
ton, ten  years  later,  another  element  entered  into  the  life  of 
New  England.  The  leading  minds  in  that  migration  were 
simply  Puritans,  members  of  the  reforming  party  in  the  na- 
tional church. 

Their  separation  from  the  church  of  England  Avas  identical 
with  their  separation  from  the  soil  of  England.  It  is  not 
strange  that  in  that  great  migration  there  came  into  New 
England  some  ideas  more  congruous  with  the  theory  of  a 
national  church  than  with  the  theory  which  impelled  the  Pil- 
grims to  separation  from  the  ecclesiastical  arrangements  in 
their  native  country.  Out  of  these  shreds  of  the  old  world 
system  came  the  reaction  against  simple  Congregationalism. 
The  troubles  in  the  Hartford  Church  were  somehow  connect- 
ed with  that  reaction.  The  personal  and  local  difficulty 
spread  out  into  a  general  controversy  and  discussion,  and  so 
the  reaction  went  on,  till  the  Synod  which  assembled  in  Bos- 
ton in  1662,  gave  its  approval,  by  a  large  majority,  to  the 
scheme  afterwards  known  as  the  "  half-way  covenant." 

What  was  the  sequel  ?  Did  the  churches  of  New  England 
divide  into  two  hostile  sects  ?  No !  in  a  few  years  every 
church  had  come  into  the  practice  of  "  the  half-way  cove- 
nant," and  the  controversy  between  "  Synodists  "  and  "  Anti- 
Synodists,"  was  a  thing  of  the  past. 


77 

The  churches  went  together.  As  there  was  no  organic  and 
governed  unity,  there  was  no  place  for  organized  disunion. 
For  twenty  years  or  more,  the  churches  differed  on  a  ques- 
tion, not  of  christian  faith  or  christian  morals,  but  of  disci- 
pline and  polity,  and  at  last,  not  by  any  compact,  bul  by  the 
force  of  tendencies  which  neither  party  adequately  under- 
stood, they  were  agreed  in  their  practice. 

In  Connecticut  the  reaction  against  simple  Congregation- 
alism went  very  far.  The  name  Presbyterian  became  the  or- 
dinary designation  of  our  clergy  and  our  churches,  and  there 
were  those  among  the  pastors  who  appear  to  have  used  that 
name,  not  heedlessly,  but  with  an  intelligent   purpose. 

In  the  days  of  the  half-way  covenant,  whatever  else  was 
neglected,  the  baptism  of  children  was  well  attended  in.  Look- 
ing into  the  records  of  an  old  church  in  Fairfield  County,  nol 
very  long  ago,  I  saw  something  to  this  effect.  The  minister, 
in  his  old  age,  recorded  his  regret  that  he  had  not  kept  an 
accurate  registry  of  baptisms,  and  therefore  supplied  that  de- 
ficiency by  certifying,  once  for  all,  that,  according  to  his  best 
knowledge  and  belief,  everybody  then  living  in  the  parish  was 
baptized,  except  a  few  Indians  in  a  remote  corner. 

The  prevalence  of  a  practice  borrowed  from  the  theory  of 
national  churches  and  incongruous  with  the  spiritual  Christi- 
anity which  is  the  vital  foree  of  Congregationalism,  was  at 
last  arrested  by  what  is  commemorated  in  our  traditions  as 
"The  Great  Awakening,"  which  had  its  distinct  beginning 
under  the  ministry  of  Jonathan  Edwards,  at  Northampton. 
As  in  similar  awakenings,  so  in  that  there  were  enthusiasms 

and  extravagances,   mistakes  both    practical   and    tli etical, 

many  human   indiscretions,  and  much   fanaticism,   marring 
God's  work. 

Of  course  there  was  agitation  I  painful  conflict-    like  the 

convulsive  struggles  that  s stimes  accompany  the  recover} 

of  life  in  a  case  of  suspended   animation.     Old  topics  in  the- 
ology were  reconsidered  in  new  Lights,  and  in   those  di 
ions,  the  underlying  theology  of  the  half-way  covenant,  and  of 
all  its  outgrowth,  was  called  inquestion.     We  can  see  how  it 
happened  that  in  the  elaboration  and  gradual  prevalence  ol 


78 

the  system  which  then  went  by  the  name  of  "New  Divinity."' 
the  practice  of  the  churches,  admitting  confessedly  unregen- 
erate  persons  to  sacramental  privileges,  was  gradually 
changed.  The  old  notion,  tacitly  assumed  and  acted  upon, 
was  that  if  a  man  had  learned  the  catechism,  and  was  ready  to 
bind  himself  by  covenant  to  an  outward  conformity  with  the 
recognized  standard  of  good  morals,  he  had  done  all  he  could 
do,  and  as  for  any  inward  experience  of  religion  he  must  pa- 
tiently wait, — and  that  having  done  all  he  could,  he  might 
have  the  benefit  of  baptism  for  his  children,  and,  whenever 
he  desired  it,  the  benefit  of  the  Lord's  Supper  for  himself. 
But  the  Great  Awakening,  with  the  theological  discussions 
that  followed  it,  brought  in  a  very  different  view, — namely, 
that  if  a  man  to  whom  the  Gospel  has  been  preached  is  un- 
regenerate  in  heart,  his  deficiency  in  that  respect  is  not  his 
misfortune  but  his  fault.  When  Edwards,  and  the  New  Eng- 
land theologians  of  his  school,  had  hammered  out  on  the 
anvils  of  controversy  their  doctrine  about  the  worthlessness  of 
"  unregenerate  doings,"  and  the  sinfulness  of  unregenerate 
waiting,  the  practice  of  the  half-way  covenant  gradually  ceased 
in  one  church  after  another,  and  full  half  a  century  ago  the 
last  traces  of  it  vanished. 

Similar  to  this  has  been  the  story  of  other  and  later  con- 
troversies. Differences  of  opinion  have  sometimes  been  ac- 
companied with  painful  feelings  of  alarm,  and  have  even  ex- 
pressed themselves  in  denunciation.  But  our  characteristic 
freedom  of  thought  and  discussion  makes  no  permanent  divis- 
ion. Under  the  polity  which  substitutes  the  comity  of  the 
churches  and  their  free  communion  with  each  other,  in  the 
place  of  a  common  government  over  the  churches,  parties  are 
only  temporary.  Each  of  our  controversies,  ancient  or  re- 
cent, has  had  its  stormy  day,  and  then  has  been  followed  by  a 
calm.  The  testimony  of  all  these  ages  is  that  our  churches, 
••  distinct  as  the  billows  yet  one  as  the  sea,"  are  held  together 
in  a  vital  unity  safer  and  stronger  than  any  outward  bond  of 
coercive  authority. 

I  must  not  sit  down  without  saying  a  few  words  concerning 
those  deceased  pastors  in  this  church,  whose  persons  and  min- 


79 

istries  I  remember.  When  I  first  saw  the  old  meetinghouse, 
the  Rev.  Abel  Flint  (afterwards,  by  the  favor  of  Onion 
College,  Dr.  Flint,)  was  performing  his  ministry  here.  His 
name  was  already  venerable  to  me,  for  I  had  read  it  again 
and  again  in  the  Connecticut  Evangelical  Magazine,  and  it 
stands  to-day  written  with  his  own  hand  on  the  title  page  of 
the  pocket  bible  which  he  gave  to  my  father  setting  out  for  his 
mission  in  the  wilderness. 

The  first  time  I  spoke  to  the  majesty  of  Dr.  Flint,  was 
when  I  went  to  his  house  to  be  examined  for  admission  to  the 
Grammar  School.  He  was  one  of  the  Trustees,  and  to  him 
the  office  was  no  sinecure,  for  he  often  came  to  sec  how  the 
school  was  going  on,  and  to  examine  us  in  our  Latin  or  <  rreek. 
The  boys  rather  liked  toseehim  come, — we  liked  his  beaming 
face,  and  his  sonorous  voice,  for  there  was  evidenl  kindness 
under  his  impressive  dignity.  He  was  a  man  whom  nobody 
could  meet  on  the  pavement  without  taking  particular  notice 
of  him.  To  see  him  marching  up  Main  Street  with  his  ivory- 
headed  cane,  in  his  clerical  dress  which  was  antique  even  then, 
would  gladden  the  eyes  of  a  modern  Ritualist.  1  remember 
the  black  coat  of  a  somewhat  Quakerish  cut,  the  black  japan- 
ned buttons,  the  knee-buckles  and  shoe-buckles,  the  blue  cloak 
too,  that  enveloped  his  stately  figure  in  colder  weather,  and 
the  broad-brim  hat  on  the  short,  snow-white  hair  which,  by 
contrast,  made  his  smoothly  shaven  face  seem  more  florid. 
We  heard  yesterday  how  critical  was  the  time  of  his  ministry 

here,  and  how  successful  he  was,  taking  the  church  at  a  ti 

when  it  was  smaller  than  ever  before,  and  leaving  it  larger 
than  it  had  everbeen  before.  Ee  was  more  a  man  of  culture 
than  of  genius,  with  a  polished  style  of  writing,  with  a  grace- 
ful and  impressive  oratory,  and  with  a  perfeel  observance  of 
all  pulpit  proprieties.  Ee  was  fastidiously  correel  in  his 
pronunciation,  and  his  example  in  all  doubtful  words  was  con 
sidered  authoritative.  I  remember  thai  when  Dr.  Gallaudel 
returned  from  Europe,  and  the  Asylum  was  aboul  to  be  com- 
menced, there  was  a  great  religious  meeting,  in  whal  is  tiov 
called  the  Center  Church,  to  inaugurate  the  enterprise.  On 
that  occasion,  from  the  lips  of  thai  accomplished  and  <  ; 


80 

speaker,  I  first  heard  the  word  deaf  pronounced  def.  Evi- 
dently that  was  the  accepted  English  pronunciation.  (I  am 
so  old  that  I  say  deaf,  and  always  shall.)  But  Dr.  Flint  was 
not  too  stiff  to  learn,  and  in  his  part  of  the  services  that  eve- 
ning, he  was  learning  the  new  pronunciation.  The  phrase 
"deaf  and  dumb,"  came  in  of  course,  very  frequently,  and 
sometimes,  inadvertently,  he  said  deaf,  and  then  when  he 
thought  of  it,  he  said  def.  But  from  that  time  forward,  I 
dare  say,  he  always  used  the  new  pronunciation.  The  last 
time  I  saw  him  was  when  I  happened  to  be  here  at  the  ordin- 
ation of  his  successor.  It  could  not  but  be  in  some  respects 
a  sad  occasion  to  him,  but  he  rejoiced  in  it.  Well  might  he 
rejoice,  leaving  the  church  as  he  did,  and  longing  for  its  pros- 
perity in  the  future.  Of  all  the  men  that  I  have  known  famil- 
iarly, it  seems  to  me  that  Joel  Harvey  Linsley  was  most  man- 
ifestly characterized  by  "  godly  sincerity," — by  christian  sim- 
plicity, grave  and  sweet, — by  kindness  of  spirit  tempering  a 
healthy  abhorrence  of  whatever  is  mean  and  wrong, — by 
earnestness  to  do  the  Master's  will, — by  all  spiritual  graces 
adorning  and  sanctifying  the  native  strength  of  a  mind  well 
disciplined  in  various  studies.  My  first  acquaintance  with 
him  was  when  he  came  to  Andover,  not  long  before  his  ordin- 
ation, for  a  few  weeks  of  study  after  his  relinquishment  of 
the  legal  profession,  and  from  that  time  to  the  end  of  his  long 
and  ever  busy  life,  I  loved  him.  His  pastorate  here,  though 
not  a  long  one,  was  an  eminent  and  timely  blessing  to  this 
ancient  church.  Here  may  his  memory  ever  shed  a  saintly 
frao-rance ! 


At  the  close  of  Dr.  Bacon's  remarks,  the  old  tune  "  New 
Jerusalem"  was  sung: — 

"From  the  third  heavens  where  God  resides. 
That  holy  happy  place,  &c.," 

The  Pastor  then  introduced  the  Rev.  0.  E.  Daggett,  D.  D., 
former  Pastor  of  the  church,  of  whose  extremely  interesting- 
remarks  only  a  brief  and  fragmentary  report  can  be  given. 


81 


Dr.  Daggett's  Remarks. 

He  said  though  he  was  ordained  pastor  of  this  church  in 
1837,  he  came  to  Hartford  in  1824,  and  was  a  school  boy  in 
the  Hopkins  grammar  school  preparatory  to  entering  Yale 
College.  He  spoke  of  the  early  efforts  alluded  to  by  other 
speakers  to  take  this  church  from  orthodoxy,  and  said  he  had 
understood  that  there  were  in  the  congregation  men  who  were 
rough  and  profane,  yet  who  said  that  funds  given  for  ortho- 
doxy should  not  be  given  for  anything  else.  He  inferred  from 
this  that  men  who  are  not  of  the  church,  often  feel  more  in- 
terest in  it  than  they  are  sometimes  willing  to  confess.  It 
was  thirty-four  years  ago  when  he  yielded  to  a  call  of  the 
church,  though  he  had  furnished  a  stated  supply  for  several 
months  before.  The  first  time  he  came  he  heard  Dr.  Patten 
preach  three  times  in  one  Sabbath,  for  the  people  in  those  days 
could  hear  three  sermons  as  well  as  they  can  now  hear  one.  It 
was  not  in  this  pulpit  that  he  preached,  but  in  the  old  ma- 
hogany* affair,  which  has  been  cut  down  and  is  now  used  in 
the  lecture  room  :  and  he  wanted  t<>  put  in  a  protest  against 
these  remodeled  pulpits,  in  front  of  which  no  communion  table 
is  kept,  probably  for  architectural  effect,  though  he  believed  the 
symbols  of  the   Lord's    Supper   should    be    kept  in  view.      In 

those  days  he  was  on  exc lingly   pleasanl    terms   with   Dr. 

Hawes,  with  whom  he  often  look  long  walks  for  exercise,  ami 
exchanged  with  him  on  such  occasions,  that  a  lady  of  his  church 
once  asked  why  il  always  rained  when  Dr.  Hawes  preached 
for  him.  He  alluded  to  Dr.  Linsley  as  a  model  pastor.  Did 
you  ever  think  thai  ministers  have  no  pastors?  Oh,thatthej 
might  always  have  sonic  one  on  whom  they  could  lean  and  in 

times  of  tribulation  say,  "  Pray  lor  me."  This  he  enlarged 
somewhat  upon  in  a  touching  manner,  saying  Dr.  Ian- 
ley    was  jnsl    such   a   man  a.  he    would    have    lor    hi-    pastor. 

Dr.  Vanarsdalen,  also  a  former  pastor,  was  alluded  to,  as  a 
child  of  impulse,  whose  course  waa  clouded,  yet   a   mi f 

generous  impulses,  full  of  tenderness.     When  he.  <  the  speak 
6 


82 

er)  left  the  church  it  had  406  members,  and  of  all  of  them,  just 
five-eighths  had  become  members  during  his  pastorate.  The 
whole  number  of  admissions  was  307,  an  average  of  51  each 
year,  and  of  these  218  were  by  profession.  The  season  of  his 
pastorate  was  one  of  fruitfulness,  and  it  is  noticeable  that  of 
the  admissions  to  the  church  in  1838,  one-half  were  baptized. 
During  his  ministry,  116  were  baptized,  an  average  of  17  a 
year.  In  May,  1838,  110  persons  were  added  to  the  church 
on  profession.  He  proceeded  to  give  a  very  interesting  ac- 
count of  the  great  revival  of  that  year,  when  the  spirit  of 
God  pervaded  all  the  churches,  and  he  mentioned  the  singu- 
lar fact,  that  in  five  months  while  this  revival  lasted,  there 
was  not  a  case  of  serious  sickness  or  one  of  death  in  the 
church,  and  in  each  one  of  the  congregations  God  subse- 
quently took  one  of  the  ingathered  flock  to  himself. 

At  the  close  of  these  remarks,  the  old  tune  "  Complaint " 
was  sung : 

"  Spare  us,  O  Lord,  aloud  wc  cry, 
Nor  let  our  sun  go  down  at  noon,  &<•.," 

Rev.  Horace  Bushnell,  D.D.,  was  then  introduced,  and  spoke 
briefly,  as  follows  : 

Dr.  Bushnell's  Remarks. 

Recollections  appear  to  be  the  kind  of  contributions  most 
demanded  here,  and  most  naturally  given,  as  they  are  certain- 
ly most  appropriate  to  the  occasion;  but  I  have  none  to  give. 
My  friend,  Dr.  Bacon,  thought  he  could  remember  a  good  part 
of  these  two  centuries,  but  I  am  so  much  older  than  he,  that 
I  don't  remember  anything.  I  have  an  indistinct  recollec- 
tion that  when  I  came  in  hither,  as  a  boy,  to  get  sight  of  so 
great  a  city,  I  saw  the  old  wooden  Meeting  House  standing 
out,  hereabouts,  in  the  street,  but  whether  it  was  a  whole 
thousand  years  back,  I  would  not  trust  my  memory  to  say. 

As  brother  Parker  went  on  yesterday  in  the  faithfully  re- 
cited story  of  his  Discourse,  picturing  the  stormy  times  of  our 
church  fathers  in  their  little,  new-born,  scarcely  settled  com- 
munity, and  showing  out  of  what  contentions,  embittered  by 
what  asperities,  this  Second  Church  took  its  separate  form  and 


began  a  history  of  its  own,  I  could  but  say,  "  this  is  their  Book 
of  Judges,"— shewing  how  Israel,  just  planted  and  not  yet 
settled  in  any  terms  of  order,  fell  backward  into  comparative 
anarchy,  how  their  manners  and  moralities  ran  low,  and  how 
the  joints  of  society  were  loosened  for  a  fearful  lurch  towards 
barbarism. 

It  reminded  me  sharply  as  need  be  of  what  I  once  under- 
took to  show,  under  "Barbarism  the  first  Danger,"  for  a 
text ; — that  there  is  a  transitional  age  in  the  history  of  every 
new  people,  commonly  in  the  second  or  third  generations, 
when  they  wear  a  sadly  deteriorated  look.  But  there  is  a  re- 
covery shortly,  and  the  barbaric  excesses  of  the  Judges  give 
way  to  the  finely  advanced,  new  era  of  Samuel  and  David. 
So  it  has  been  in  all  our  New  England  communities,  and  so  it 
shortly  began  to  be  here,  as  the  story  was  given,  in  our  wretch- 
edly distracted  church  community  of  Hartford.  But  God 
mercifully  bridged  the  gulf  for  us,  and  finally  brought  us  safe 
over  out  of  a  troubled  past  into  a  goodly  present,  where  <  in  Id- 
took  the  ascendent  again  ; — permitting  us  to  dwell  in  peace, 
behold  the  decencies,  and  share  the  amenities,  and  take  confi- 
dence in  the  recovered  moralities  of  life.  And  having  thus 
come  up  out  of  our  rough,  wild  age,  and  the  dangers  included 
in  so  great  poverty  and  coarseness  of  life,  how  shall  we  better 
thank  God,  than  to  ask  how  we  may  best  turn  off  another 
danger,  on  the  other  side,  from  our  children, — how  we  may 
save  them  from  being  precipitated  into  the  fearfully  worse 
dangers  of  luxury,  dissipation,  godless  unbelief,  and  profligacy . 

•lust  a  word  now  in   regard   to  the  unmentioned    people  of 
the  story. 

Our  brother  Moore,  referring,  in  the  prayer  meeting  this 
morning,  to  the  large  gaps  in  the  church  records  which  the 
Historical  Discourse  deplored,  reminded  us  that  whole  gene- 
rations in  the  membership  were  thus  Losl  ;  who  the}  wereand 
where  their  dust  reposes  never  <  an  be  known.  Bui  it'  we  hud 
their  names,  scarcely  more  would  be  known.  The  body  of 
Moses, — where  was  it  laid  ?  And  if  his  name  too  had  been 
hidden  as  his  body  was,  would  he  not  still  have  lived  in  his 
people  by  all  his  works  ?     So  these  unmentioned  onesofyour 


84 

church-story  are  living  in  you  here  to-day, — as  truly  they  that 
were  in  the  gaps  of  the  records,  as  they  whose  names  are  pre- 
served. These  names  tell  you  little,  and  it  is  only  a  very  few 
of  them,  four  or  five  in  a  generation,  that  ever  come  out  to 
be  so  much  as  spoken  by  their  syllables.  And  yet  all  these 
unmentioned,  or  scarcely  mentioned  ones  are  yet  truly  alive, 
so  much  even  as  they  once  were  here,  and  for  one,  I  love 
especially  to  give  them  greeting  at  such  times  ;  for  it  is  their 
special  merit,  it  may  be, — their  self-forgetting  and  unforward 
modesty — that  has  veiled  them.  And  what  more  could  their 
names  signify,  when  all  they  did  and  were  is  alive  in  you,  now 
waiting  to  be  owned  and  cherished  by  your  tenderest  homage  ? 

Another  point  is  to  be  remembered  : — Considering  the  lact 
that  our  generations  increase  in  a  geometrical  ratio,  there  are 
probably  now  as  many  as  one  or  two  hundred  thousand  peo- 
ple somewhere  living,  that  were  issued  from  this  flock,  and 
who,  as  you  may  say,  were  born  here,  though  they  know  you 
not.  Some  of  them  never  heard  of  this  South  Church,  but 
they  have  South  Church  ingredients  in  them,  that  for  these 
generations  past  have  been  distilling  from  such  works  and 
prayers  as  could  fitly  be  a  propagated  blessing. 

Put  now  these  last  unmentioned  and  the  unmentioned  of 
the  old  time  together,  and  imagine  how  they  will  sometime 
meet,  and  how  you  yourselves  will  meet  them  as  the  before  and 
after  of  your  story  !  When  you  all  stand  face  to  face  in  this 
great  time  coming,  what  a  bringing  together  will  it  be  !  You 
will  make  how  many  beautiful  discoveries,  that  will  put  your 
hearts  ringing  with  joy,  and  it  will  be  a  gathering  together 
into  what  high  brotherhood  of  love  and  acknowledged  obliga- 
tion for  eternity ! 


Mr.  Parker  then,  in  a  few  words,  returned  thanks  to  all 
who  have  contributed  in  any  way  to  the  perfect  success  of  the 
anniversary  exercises ;  to  the  multitudes  who  have  come  nj> 
hither  to  our  jubilee  ;  to  the  people  who  have  labored  so  de- 
votedly and  patiently  to  make  all  suitable  preparations  for  this 


(!)  £<ml,  gbfli  (thy  people,  ^nrt  £aw  (Thy  gwitafle 

6ot'fvu  (Hutu  gind  £Cift  <TUem  Htu  gottvtt : 

gay  ^y  2|ay  %Vt  £Uagnify  (Hue, 

gwd  gvaisr  (Thy  name  <$vjetr, 

Wovtrt  Without  (giut, 

2Vmen. 


If 


-2/p- 


^ 


THE  LIBRARY 
UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

Santa  Barbara 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW. 


Series  9482 


UC  SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


AA    000  938  094    o 


